Apollo Justice: New Beginnings
by Gazing on the Arabesque
Summary: My take on a second Apollo Justice game. Phoenix Wright passed the bar exam, but must watch five of Apollo's trials before he can officially practice law again. With Phoenix's new badge, old acquaintances arrive, some good, some bad.
1. Turnabout Revival: Prologue

**Basically, in a nutshell, this is my attempt at a second Apollo Justice game. All the characters (well, almost all of them) belong to Capcom and the cases and scenarios (well, most of them) belong to me. Enjoy!**

XX

_September 7, 9:48 AM_

_District Court_

_Defendant Lobby No. 2_

_I'm going to lose today_, Apollo thought miserably as he dragged his feet the defendant lobby. _What was he thinking, making me defend some girl I've never even met before?_ A girl waited patiently for him in the Defendant Lobby. She seemed to be about Trucy's age, but her stance and the expression on her face suggested otherwise. She seemed unusually calm for someone who was on trial for murder. She stood in the corner of the room, gripping her arm and staring off pensively. She wore a black dress with a matching black coat, a pale purple scarf around her neck and a necklace with large beads and a strange blue pendant. Her brown hair hung loosely over her shoulders, except for some strands twirled into an intricate knot on top of her head. As she spotted Apollo she drew closer to him. "Hello," she greeted, smiling pleasantly.

"Hi," Apollo replied stiffly. "So you're Diamond."

"Pearl," the girl corrected immediately.

"Right…" Apollo mumbled. "Pearl… um… what was—"

"Fey," she added, smiling.

"Right," Apollo said a bit more strongly. "Pearl Fey. That was it. Yeah." She raised her eyebrows sympathetically.

"And you are?" she prompted.

"Fine!" Apollo answered immediately. "I-I'm fine, Ms. Fey!" Pearl giggled. "U-Um, I'm Apollo Justice."

"Are you all right, Mr. Justice?" she asked concernedly.

"Y-Yeah…" Apollo stammered. "Just a little nervous." Pearl smiled at him gently.

"I'm sure you'll be fine," she told him sincerely. _Great…_ Apollo thought. _My own client is comforting me. This is going to go _so_ well._

"Listen," Apollo interjected. "Pearl. Are you sure you're ok with me defending you?" She raised her eyebrows, but continued to smile.

"Mr. Nick said that he'd trust you to defend him if he ever was accused of murder," she said. "If Mr. Nick trusts you, then I trust you too."

"Are you sure?" Apollo asked. "I mean, I stayed up all night looking over the case file and working on my Chords of Steel, but…" Pearl giggled.

"I'm sure you'll be fine," she said again. _My name is Apollo Justice, and I'm a defense attorney working at the Wright Anything Agency, directly under Phoenix Wright, affectionately labeled "Mr. Nick" by my client. This is my first murder trial since Vera Misham's one year ago, so I'm kind of nervous… especially since Mr. Wright sprung this case on me last night. He told me that he'd fire me if I didn't take it on, and the scary part is that I think he was dead serious. If my client trusts him so much, then they have to have some sort of history together. Now _what_ it is… I don't think I'm qualified to ask. _The door to the Defendant Lobby swung open, and Trucy skipped in, followed by none other than Phoenix Wright.

"Hey Polly!" Trucy greeted cheerfully.

"Apollo," Phoenix greeted curtly. "Getting cold feet?"

"What do you think?" Apollo retorted bitterly. Phoenix chuckled.

"Don't worry," he assured him. "Pearls is innocent. She wouldn't hurt a fly."

"It's proving that that's going to be a problem…" Apollo grumbled.

"Hey, Pearls," Phoenix greeted the defendant casually.

"Hi Mr. Nick!" she greeted cheerfully. Phoenix's eyes widened as he exhaled sharply.

"Wow," he mumbled. "It's scary how much you look like Dahlia right now. You've grown so much since I last saw you." Pearl pouted.

"Mr. Nick, I told you yesterday," she said. "I look a lot like _Iris_. She's my sister too, you know." Phoenix chuckled.

"Of course," he agreed. "That's _much_ better." The door burst open again.

"NIIIIICK!" a female voice hollered. A woman with long black hair wearing strange purple robes rushed into the room.

"Hey Maya!" Phoenix greeted cheerfully. "It's been awhile."

"I heard you got your Defense Attorney's badge back, so I just _had_ to come and watch your first trial," she said, grinning at him. Phoenix raised his eyebrows.

"So the fact that Pearls is on trial for _murder_ doesn't concern you at all?" he asked.

"No!" Maya yelled. "That's not it! But I'm sure Pearly will be fine, since you're defending her and all, even though you're probably a little rusty." Phoenix laughed nervously and scratched the back of his head. _Since when is Mr. Wright so nervous?_ Apollo thought, frowning.

"You see…" Phoenix drawled out. "The funny thing is…"

"Mr. Nick isn't going to be defending me," Pearl finished for him. It was quiet, like the calm before a storm. Then…

"WHAT?" Maya shrieked. "Then who is—" Phoenix shoved Apollo in front of Maya.

"_This_ is Apollo Justice, my understudy," Phoenix introduced. "He'll be defending Pearls today. Even though I got my badge back, I can't really practice until I sit in the defense's chair and watch five trials." Maya glared at Apollo.

"Listen Mr. Yoostis," she practically growled, harshly poking him in the chest.

"It's Justice," Trucy corrected. "You know… like justice for all?"

"All right, fine," Maya snapped. "_Justice_. You better get Pearly a 'not guilty' verdict, you hear? Otherwise I'll have the spirit of your dead mother haunt you for the rest of your life."

"Um…" Phoenix mumbled awkwardly. "Maya, Apollo's mother is alive."

"Then I'll have the spirit of your dead _father_ haunt you for the rest of your life!" Maya amended.

"That might not be the best idea…" Phoenix whispered to her.

"Ok, fine!" she yelled. "I'll sick Dahlia Hawthorne on you!" Phoenix and Pearl gasped.

"Mystic Maya, you wouldn't," Pearl mumbled.

"Who's Dahlia Hawthorne?" Trucy asked. "Is she the same Dahlia you were talking about before, Daddy?"

"Yeah, Mr. Wright, who is she?" Apollo asked. "You mentioned her when you were visiting that one guy in jail before, but…"

"Well you're _going_ to get to know her if you lose this trial!" Maya shouted.

"Ok!" Phoenix said loudly. "No one will be channeling any malignant spirits here."

"But if—" Maya protested.

"Apollo won't lose this trial," Phoenix insisted. "His career depends on it, after all." _Great_, Apollo thought miserably. _If I lose this trial, not only will I have a malignant evil spirit after me, but I'll also be out of a job. I feel _great_ about this trial…_

"Wait, so Daddy," Trucy interjected, "who's this?"

"This is Maya Fey," Phoenix introduced. "She was my assistant back when I was a lawyer and is currently the master of the Kurrain Channeling Technique."

"She's also my cousin," Pearl added.

"Oh, so _that's_ how you know the defendant," Apollo said with realization.

"Don't call Pearly that!" Maya yelled, smacking his arm.

"Well that's what she is, isn't she?" he asked rhetorically in response.

"It's all right, Mystic Maya…" Pearl assured her cousin.

"Mr. Justice," the bailiff called out. "It's time."

"Knock 'em dead, Apollo!" Trucy said. "You can do it!"

"And if you're ever stuck, don't hesitate to check the Court Record," Phoenix reminded him.

"It's absolutely vital that you check the Court Record!" Maya insisted.

"Examine every bit of information as thoroughly as possible," Phoenix told Apollo. "Basically, in a nutshell, the Court Record will be your best friend during this trial."

"I know all that already," Apollo grumbled. "You don't have to tell me."

"I know," Phoenix acknowledged, wearing a goofy grin on his face, "but you should know that I need to review all this information as well. So don't get too annoyed when I bring up stuff you should already know."

"Mr. Justice," the bailiff called. _Palms sweating… Eyesight… fading… I mean, sure, I took down the great Kristoph Gavin last year, but there's no way I could have done it without Mr. Wright, Trucy, Klavier Gavin and Vera Misham. But still… That should promote at least _some_ confidence, right? This _is_ my first murder trial since last year… I need to focus. First murder trial in one year, here comes Justice!_

XX

**Don't kill me. I absolutely **_**had**_** to bring Maya and Pearly back… in the first case too! Let's just say they'll be making **_**lots**_** of appearances from here on out. Ugh, there's so many references to other cases in this chapter. So I hope you played all the Ace Attorney games before you started reading this. If you're in need of some music, for the beginning part of the trial, you should play the Defendant Lobby music from Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, and then the Turnabout Sisters theme when Maya shows up. Then you should go back to the Defendant Lobby music when the bailiff calls Apollo. PLEASE REVIEW!**


	2. Turnabout Revival: Part 1

**Well hi again! Gahh I can't believe I'm actually continuing this… Anyway, you will soon notice the complete absence of a fourth wall in this chapter. This is because I'm mirroring this fic after the games themselves (so stuff like Court Record buttons and cross examinations will be explained).**

XX

_September 7, 10:00 AM_

_District Court_

_Courtroom No. 2_

The judge banged down his gavel. "Court is now in session for the trial of Miss Pearl Fey," he announced. "Are the defense and the prosecution ready?"

"The defense is ready, Your Honor," Apollo replied, nodding his head. He glanced over briefly at Phoenix, who was standing next to him at the bench. It felt strange; he was so used to having Trucy stand there with him. He tucked both his hands behind his back self-consciously.

"The prosecution has been ready for a while, Your Honor," said a nasally, slightly whiny voice from the prosecution's bench. Winston Payne stood there with his hand on his forehead. He flipped his long hair behind his shoulder. "Apollo Justice and Phoenix Wright… we meet again."

"It's been awhile, Mr. Payne," Phoenix answered curtly. "How long has it been since I last faced you in court?"

"Eight years, I believe," Winston replied. "I look forward to crushing you into itty bitty pieces, Mr. Wright." Phoenix smirked.

"Sounds promising," he muttered. _Hey!_ Apollo thought. _I'm the one going up against him, not you!_

"Would the prosecution like to make their opening statement?" the judge asked.

"Yes, Your Honor," Winston answered. "Two days ago, on September 5, a high school student, Daniel Finch, was found dead in Kurain High School's quad area. He was struck once by a blunt object… this textbook, in fact." Winston struggled to hold up a particularly large hardbound textbook.

"_Gardener's Art through the Ages_, huh?" Phoenix asked rhetorically.

"So it was an art history textbook," the judge mused. "Those tend to be very heavy, or so I've heard."

"_Gardener's_ textbooks tend to be over a thousand pages long, not counting the index and table of contents," Phoenix added.

"Ah, yes," Winston continued. "As you can see, there is a bit of blood here on the cover." He gestured towards the textbook, where a reddish-brown stain lined the top edge. "And the textbook bears the defendant's fingerprints."

"So the textbook is certainly heavy enough to be used as a murder weapon…" the judge mused. "Very well. The court accepts this into evidence." Gardener's_ Textbook added to Court Record._

"Be sure to pay attention to any evidence added to the Court Record," Phoenix advised Apollo. "Tap the Court Record button to check the Court Record frequently."

"I know that!" Apollo hissed at him.

"Just checking," Phoenix mumbled awkwardly. The judge banged down his gavel again.

"Mr. Payne, the prosecution may call its first witness," he said.

"The prosecution calls the defendant, Miss Fey, to the stand," Winston announced. Pearl made her way over to the witness stand and stood there, smiling gently. Winston cleared his throat loudly. "Witness, please state your name and profession to the court."

"Um…" Pearl mumbled, her eyes averting to the floor. _Hey, wait a minute!_ Apollo thought. _What happened to all that confidence from before?_ "My name is Pearl Fey, and as for profession… I guess the most accurate answer would be a twelfth grader." She smiled once more, closing her eyes and tilting her head to the side.

"My word…" the judge gasped. "You look rather familiar. Have we met before, Miss Fey?"

"I used to stand at the defense's bench with Mr. Nick when I was little," Pearl answered. "I don't think we've ever met personally, but I'm pretty sure you've seen me before."

"Hmm…" the judge mused. "Oh! I remember! You're that little girl who was always tagging along after Mr. Wright and his assistant!" Pearl smiled.

"I guess so," she answered a little uncertainly.

"Well the three of them are sisters," Phoenix muttered to himself. "It's no wonder they all act so similarly. They even _look_ exactly the same."

"Wait, is this about that Dahlia person from before?" Apollo whispered.

"Don't worry about it, Apollo," Phoenix said casually. "Just focus on the trial."

"Miss Fey," Winston said sharply, "you were found crouching down next to the victim, crying, with the murder weapon in your hands. Is this true?" Pearl's eyes averted to the floor.

"Yes…" Pearl mumbled. "But I… I would never…"

"Miss Fey, please testify to the court what happened," Winston continued as if she hadn't spoken up at all.

"Ah…" Pearl stammered. "Ok…"

* * *

><p><em><span>Witness Testimony: What happened<span>_

_I didn't kill Daniel. I swear I didn't! I just found his body, that's all!_

_He was just lying there, not moving…_

_I was worried, so I went to check on him._

_Sure enough, he was dead, and the art history textbook was lying right there next to him._

_I… I picked it up. I don't know what I was thinking at the time._

_Now that I think about it, I was pretty stupid to do so, because it's what got me accused in the first place._

_So you see? I didn't kill Daniel. If anything, I was the one who found the body._

* * *

><p>"So Mr. Wright, what do you do during cross-examinations?" Apollo asked.<p>

"You should know already," Phoenix retorted, smirking a little.

"I do," Apollo replied. "I'm just quizzing you." Phoenix gave a dramatic sigh.

"Ok," he grumbled. "You have the option of either _pressing_ the witness's statements to squeeze out more information or _presenting evidence_ to refute their claims. Remember, a defense attorney's job during cross-examinations is to find _contradictions_ in the witness's testimony and expose them for what they are. But be careful. If you present the wrong evidence, then you'll be penalized. You won't be penalized for _pressing_ the witness, however, so when in doubt, just keep pressing."

"Mr. Justice, you may now cross-examine the witness," the judge announced.

"Yes, Your Honor," Apollo said, nodding his head.

* * *

><p><em><span>Rebuttal<span>_

_I didn't kill Daniel. I swear I didn't! I just found his body, that's all!_

**HOLD IT!**

"Miss Fey, what were you doing outside in the first place?" Apollo asked.

"My first period teacher asked me to deliver something to a student in another class," Pearl answered confidently. "That's why I was outside at the time." Apollo frowned in concentration and pressed his finger against his forehead.

"That's… awfully convenient, don't you think?" he asked.

"Wh-What do you mean, Mr. Justice?" Pearl stuttered.

"I mean, you just happened to be outside at the time of the murder," Apollo clarified.

"I know…" Pearl mumbled sadly. "That _does_ cast suspicion on me, doesn't it?" Apollo flinched and his eyes widened.

"N-No…" he stammered. "That's not what I… I didn't mean…"

"**OBJECTION!**" Winston screeched. "This court has already established that Miss Fey was outside at the time of the murder." He pointed his finger at Apollo. "You're just grasping for an alibi!" The judge nodded.

"Objection sustained," he announced. _Great…_ Apollo groaned inwardly. _Just great. This trial is going _so_ well._ "Miss Fey, please continue your testimony."

"As you wish, Your Honor," Pearl replied, nodding her head.

_He was just lying there, not moving…_

**HOLD IT!**

"Miss Fey, did it occur to you that he had simply fallen down?" Apollo asked. "Or maybe he had collapsed."

"But he wasn't moving or anything!" Pearl insisted. She held her hand up in front of her mouth and tears formed in her eyes. "I… I didn't…"

"**OBJECTION!**" Payne screeched. "What the defense is insinuating is all baseless conjecture. If you want to prove that Mr. Finch was still alive when Miss Fey supposedly found the body, you need evidence, Mr. Justice!"

"**OBJECTION!**" Apollo yelled. "How am I supposed to prove that if the prosecution won't even produce an autopsy report?"

"Easy there, Apollo," Phoenix warned him. "There's no need to yell." _Damn it!_ Apollo mentally cursed. Winston pulled out a brown envelope.

"Ah, did I forget to present this?" he asked rhetorically. "Your Honor, this is Mr. Daniel Finch's autopsy report."

"Hmm…" the judge mused. "Let's see here… Cause of death, one blow to the head by a blunt object. Death was immediate… Very well. The court accepts this into evidence." _Autopsy Report added to Court Record._ "Please continue with your testimony, Miss Fey."

_I was worried, so I went to check on him._

**HOLD IT!**

Apollo pressed his forehead with his pointer finger. "When you say you 'checked on' the victim, what exactly did you do?"

"I listened for a heartbeat and checked for a pulse," Pearl replied. "Isn't that what you're supposed to do when you think someone may be dead?"

"But why did you suspect he was dead in the first place?" Apollo questioned. Pearl's eyes averted to the floor.

"There was blood…" she whispered. "Not much, but it was definitely there. There… there seemed to be a pool of blood around his head." She brought her hand in front of her mouth and her eyes filled with tears. "I… I… I didn't know what else to do."

"Next time, Pearls, try to alert someone right away," Phoenix advised. "I understand that you were pretty shaken up by what you saw, but you could have avoided all of this had you spoken to someone when you realized he was dead."

"I know…" Pearl mumbled sadly. _I think the fact that she's on trial for murder is finally sinking in_, Apollo thought. _Or rather, the fear is. I think she finally understands that even though Mr. Wright and I are defending her, there's no guarantee that she'll get off completely free._

"And what did you do after that?" Apollo prompted.

_I… I picked up the art history textbook lying right there next to him._

**HOLD IT!**

"So that's how your fingerprints got on the textbook…" Apollo mused.

"I… I guess so…" Pearl agreed uncertainly. "Those fingerprints… I was the primary suspect because of them.

"Was there blood on the edge of the book, Miss Fey?" Apollo asked.

"Yes," Pearl answered. "The book was lying in Daniel's blood, and it was practically dripping off the back cover." _Hmm… That's weird…_ Apollo thought, pressing his finger against his forehead. _There's only blood lining the edge._

"Miss Fey, can you please add this to your testimony?" Apollo asked.

"Of course," Pearl replied, nodding.

_I picked up the art history textbook lying in a pool of blood near him._

**OBJECTION!**

Apollo smirked triumphantly. "Miss Fey, you claim to have picked up this book from a pool of blood near the victim," he asserted.

"Yes," Pearl answered uncertainly.

"Well then…"Apollo began as he held up the heavy textbook. "Just look at it! There's no way this could have been lying in a pool of blood! There's not _nearly_ enough blood on the cover!"

"But…" Pearl mumbled. "But I… I…" Tears began to stream down her face and she made a futile effort to wipe them. Apollo slammed his hands down on the table.

"Miss Fey, how do you expect me to defend you when you insist on lying to me?" he yelled.

"I didn't lie!" Pearl squeaked. "I… No… I know what I saw… It was lying in a pool of blood! I swear! I… There's no way…"

"Your Honor, the defense would like to call for a ten-minute recess," Apollo said.

"**OBJECTION!**"Winston screeched. "The defense is grasping for more time." The judge nodded.

"Objection sustained," he said.

"It's clear that Miss Fey murdered the victim," Winston sneered. "She struck him in the forehead with the textbook. Then she must have dropped the textbook because of the weight, and it must have landed in a pool of Mr. Finch's blood. Then she proceeded to wipe the blood off the cover. However, she forgot to wipe off the very thing that would incriminate her… _her fingerprints_!" There was pin-drop silence in the courtroom.

"This isn't good," Phoenix whispered to Apollo. "Listen, Apollo. I don't think Pearls was lying when she said she found the textbook lying in a pool of blood."

"But there's a blatant contradiction in her testimony!" Apollo insisted. "There should be way more blood on the cover if it really was lying in a pool of blood!" Phoenix rubbed his chin contemplatively.

"So the most reasonable explanation would be that someone else committed the murder, but adjusted the crime scene accordingly to frame Pearls," Phoenix concluded. "Yes, that has to be it."

"How on earth do you expect me to prove that?" Apollo hissed.

"If the defense has no more objections, I am ready to hand down my verdict," the judge said. _No!_ Apollo thought. _It can't end like this!_ "I pronounce the defendant, Pearl Fey…"

**OBJECTION!**

Phoenix stood up straight with his finger pointing at Pearl. "If Pearl Fey wiped the blood off the cover as you say, there's no way she would have neglected wiping off her own fingerprints!" he yelled. "She even admitted that picking up the textbook wasn't the smartest idea. She knew that her fingerprints were what made her the prime suspect. So tell me, Mr. Payne…" He slammed his hands down on the table and leaned forward. "_How could she forget to erase the most incriminating bit of evidence against her_?"

"Gack!" Winston screeched. The rest of the people in the court began to chatter with each other. The judge banged his gavel three times.

"Order!" he shouted. "Order in the court!"

"Furthermore, no clear motive was established," Phoenix continued. "For all we know, the defendant may not have even known the victim!"

"**OBJECTION!**" Winston screeched. "But it's just as likely that the defendant knew the victim well!" The judge banged his gavel.

"Very well," he said. "Miss Fey, can you please testify about your relationship with Mr. Finch?" Pearl nodded.

"Of course, Your Honor," she replied.

* * *

><p><em><span>Witness Testimony: Relationship with Daniel Finch<span>_

_I didn't even know Daniel._

_I mean… I knew who he _was_, but I didn't _know_ him, if you know what I mean._

_Everyone knew who he was, him being the star quarterback and all._

_I doubt he knew who I was, though._

_If anything, I was just that weird Fey branch family girl who liked consorting with ghosts._

* * *

><p>"That testimony sounds pretty solid," Phoenix asserted.<p>

"Yeah, but I want to cross-examine her anyway," Apollo refuted. Phoenix shrugged.

"Suit yourself," he said.

* * *

><p><em><span>Rebuttal<span>_

_I didn't even know Daniel._

_I mean… I knew who he _was_, but I didn't _know_ him, if you know what I mean._

_Everyone knew who he was, him being the star quarterback and all._

_I doubt he knew who I was, though._

_If anything, I was just that weird Fey branch family girl who liked consorting with ghosts._

**HOLD IT!**

"'Fey branch family girl who liked consorting with ghosts'?" Apollo repeated. "What do you mean by that?"

"Oh…" Pearl mumbled. "Um… well… This may sound a bit outrageous, but women of the Fey family can channel the dead. Essentially, we lend our bodies to dead spirits and let them live temporarily through us."

"And are you the only one who can do this?" Apollo asked.

"In my high school, yes," Pearl answered, "but Mystic Maya can channel dead spirits too. She's the master of the Kurain Channeling Technique." _I don't buy it_, Apollo thought. _Channeling? This is all one big scam._

"It's not a scam," Phoenix told him as if he had read his mind. "Your Honor, the legitimacy of the Kurain Channeling Technique was already established by this court eight years ago."

"It was?" the judge asked. "I don't recall…"

"Then recall the State vs. Iris case," Phoenix suggested.

"Hmm…" the judge mused. "Oh! I remember! That case where…"

"Where Dahlia Hawthorne, being channeled by Maya Fey, impersonated her sister Iris Hawthorne and tried to frame Maya for murdering the picture book illustrator Elise Deauxnim?" Phoenix finished. "Yes, Your Honor. _That_ trial." _What the hell happened with all these people?_ Apollo questioned internally. _And who's this Dahlia person?_ The judge banged down his gavel.

"Very well," he concluded. "It is clear that the defendant did _not_ know the victim. Furthermore, it seems highly unlikely that Miss Fey would wipe blood off the murder weapon, but neglect to wipe off her own fingerprints."

"**OBJECTION!**" Winston screeched. "The prosecution would like to present a witness who saw the defendant commit the murder, Your Honor."

"A witness?" the judge repeated. "Very well." He banged down his gavel. "I will give the prosecution fifteen minutes to prepare the witness. Court is adjourned for a fifteen-minute recess." He banged down his gavel again.

XX

**Soooo there's the second part of the first "tutorial" case. It should be fairly obvious who the real killer is (it always is in the first case). Speaking of obvious killers, did anyone play the second case of AAI? I knew from the beginning that it was either Rhoda or Cammy; either Cammy was trying to pull an Ini Miney or Rhoda was trying to pull a Dahlia on us all.**

**Anyway, this is an incredibly awkward case. I've never really written anything pertaining to mystery before… So PLEASE REVIEW and tell me how I'm doing!**


	3. Turnabout Revival: Part 2

_September 7, 11:26 AM_

_District Court_

_Defendant Lobby No. 2_

Apollo sat awkwardly next to Pearl on a bench in the defendant lobby. About five minutes of the fifteen-minute recess had already passed. "Mr. Justice, I didn't lie," Pearl told him hurriedly.

"I know," Apollo replied shortly. _My bracelet didn't tighten, so I know for sure you weren't hiding anything._

"I just…" Pearl began. "I'm sure the textbook was lying in a pool of blood. Some of it got onto my hands. So how…"

"I think someone's just trying really hard to frame you for the murder of Daniel Finch," Apollo answered honestly. They fell into an awkward silence. "Um… Miss Fey… you can channel the dead, right?" Pearl gave him a faint smile.

"You don't sound too convinced about it," she retorted, "but yes, I can."

"Then…" Apollo mumbled. "Could you maybe channel the victim?" Pearl's eyes averted to her hands folded in her lap.

"I could," she answered honestly, "but you can't make him testify in court." She giggled. "I know because Mr. Nick tried to do that in one trial, and the judge wouldn't take the victim's word that it was the witness who murdered him." Apollo exhaled sharply.

"Miss Fey, I barely know anything about this case," Apollo said. "Mr. Wright sprung this case on me last night at eleven o'clock. I barely had enough time to look over the case file. I don't know anything about the victim or you, for that matter." He sighed again. "My job depends on this trial. Mr. Wright's going to fire me if I don't win… Wait a minute, forget about me. _Your_ life depends on this trial. You'll be put on death row if I lose. Are you absolutely, positively sure you trust me with this case?" Pearl stared blankly at him.

"I trust Mr. Nick's judgment, Mr. Justice," Pearl told him, "and he said you're one of the best defense attorneys out there. Yes, I was a little apprehensive entrusting my case with someone I've never even met before, but I really don't trust any other attorneys out there. The only other attorney I _do_ trust retired two years ago, so you're my last hope." Apollo sighed and buried his face in his hands.

"We're so screwed," he groaned. "Look, I'm having a bit of a hard time believing that you can channel the dead… no offense." Pearl smiled.

"None taken," she retorted.

"So if you could just… give me a demonstration or _something_, that would be great," Apollo concluded. "Even better, if you could channel the victim, that would _definitely_ help our case."

"All right," Pearl agreed, "but just so you know, I lose my body and my mind when I'm channeling someone. It's… It's like I pass out, sort of. And I can't account for anything Daniel might say. So be careful. Remember, spirits are people too. They can lie." Apollo nodded.

"All right," he affirmed. Pearl shut her eyes and clasped her hands together. Apollo's jaw dropped open in awe as he watched her physically change into, well, a _boy_. She opened her mouth, and…

"Wh-What?" a masculine voice stammered. "What… What just happened?" 'Pearl' stared around at the defendant lobby. "Where… am I?"

"You're in the district court," Apollo said faintly. 'Pearl' turned her head, and Apollo flinched when he saw just how different she looked. The pretzel-knot on top of her head was still there, and her hair was still long, but her face looked so different. Her eyelashes seemed to have grown longer, and bright blue eyes replaced her normal brown ones. "Are you Daniel Finch?"

"Look, dude," he said. "How do you know who I am? Who _are_ you anyway?"

"My name is Apollo Justice," Apollo replied. "I am Miss Pearl Fey's attorney. She's currently on trial for _your_ murder."

"Pearl… Fey?" Daniel repeated confusedly. "Oh! The ghost girl!" Apollo cleared his throat.

"Mr. Finch," he began. "You were bludgeoned to death by a textbook. Is this true?"

"Hang on…" Daniel said. "Let me try to remember." _Does this guy even realize that he's _dead_?_ Apollo ranted in his head. "Oh!" he gasped. Then his face twisted into a fierce scowl and he balled his hands into fists. "That _bitch_." Apollo drooped his head slightly.

"You don't mean Pearl, do you?" he mumbled.

"The ghost girl?" Daniel asked. "_Hell_ no! I've never seen her before in my life!" Apollo felt as if a tremendous weight was lifted from his shoulders. _So she's innocent! This makes things _so_ much better._

"Well she's _channeling_ you right now," Apollo pointed out.

"Aw _shit_!" Daniel yelled. "So it's true? She really _can_ talk to ghosts?" Apollo sighed exasperatedly.

"I guess she _can_, but only if someone else is channeling them," Apollo replied. "Listen, Mr. Finch, we don't have much time. I need you to tell me the name of who killed you." But Daniel's attention had already diverted from him.

"No _way_, why would Quinnie…" Daniel mumbled to himself. Apollo raised his eyebrows.

"'Quinnie'?" he repeated.

"Yeah!" Daniel affirmed. "She's my girlfriend! Um… Well she _was_ my girlfriend, since I'm dead and all." _So we're finally on the same page? Good._ "But why would she…"

"So this 'Quinnie' killed you?" Apollo asked.

"Mr. Justice," the bailiff called. "It's time."

"Yeah, Quinnie killed me," Daniel said. "I don't know why, though."

"Ok, I can take it from here," Apollo said. "I'm sorry, but you have to leave now."

"The ghost girl didn't do anything, dude!" Daniel insisted. Apollo nodded.

"I know that," he said. "Now will you _please_ leave Pearl's body?"

"Geez, dude, all you had to do was ask," Daniel said nonchalantly, shrugging. Then, almost immediately, Pearl's form reverted back to its original self. She looked dazed for a few seconds, but her eyes quickly grew more focused.

"Did you find out anything?" she asked almost automatically.

"Well I certainly don't doubt your channeling thing anymore," Apollo replied, "and now I know for sure that you didn't kill Daniel Finch."

"Did he say who did?" Pearl asked, her eyes widening slightly.

"Some 'Quinnie'," Apollo mumbled.

"Quinnie?" Pearl repeated, raising her eyebrows slightly. Realization dawned on her face. "Oh! Quinn Shay! His girlfriend!" She frowned and pulled her hand up to her mouth again. "That's strange… she was the one who called the police in the first place."

"Mr. Justice," the bailiff called again.

"We have to go," Apollo said hurriedly. "Look, all Daniel Finch could tell me was who killed him. I don't know the circumstances in which she did and I don't know why. Unless I can establish that with hard evidence, I can't get you an acquittal."

"I understand," Pearl said.

"Mr. Justice," the bailiff called for the third time.

"We should go," Pearl mumbled.

"Wait, Pearl," Apollo interrupted. "Do you think you could tell me everything you said in court again?"

"I was asked to deliver something to a student in another class, so I left my class at around eight thirty," Pearl told him. "I saw Daniel lying motionless on the ground. I was worried, so I went to check his heartbeat and his pulse. He was dead, and there was a small pool of blood emanating from his head. The _Gardener's_ textbook was lying there in that pool of blood. I was in shock, and I picked it up without thinking. Then I heard a scream and saw Quinn Shay calling the police with her cell phone. The police arrived, and they arrested me on the spot." _Pearl's Testimony added to Court Record._

"I'm pretty sure you didn't say all of that in court," Apollo replied, giving her a faint smile, "but it definitely helps. Thank you. Now we really have to go.

"I leave my fate in your hands, Apollo," Pearl told him seriously.

"Don't worry," Apollo assured her. "You're innocent, and I'm going to prove it. Leave everything to me, Pearl."

* * *

><p><em>September 7, 11:36 AM<em>

_District Court_

_Courtroom No. 2_

The court chattered incessantly, and the judge banged his gavel to silence them. "Court will now reconvene for the trial of Miss Pearl Fey," he announced. "Before the recess, the prosecution announced that they had a witness who saw the very moment of the crime. Is this true, Mr. Payne?"

"Yes, Your Honor," Winston replied, flipping his hair behind his shoulder. "The prosecution would like to call the victim's girlfriend, Miss Quinn Shay." Two bailiffs escorted a girl with blonde hair wearing a white dress into the courtroom. She stood proudly at the witness stand. "Witness, please state your name and occupation."

"Quinn Shay," the girl said confidently. "I'm a high school senior."

"Miss Shay, please testify to the court what you saw," Winston said.

"Hmph," she scoffed. "Fine. But this better be quick."

* * *

><p><em><span>Witness Testimony: What Happened During the Crime<span>_

_It happened around eight thirty in the morning._

_I saw that girl sitting over there walk up to Danny._

_She attacked him brutally, and he fell to the ground._

_She dropped the textbook she used to attack him on the ground next to him._

_There was barely any blood there, but I'm sure poor Danny was dead._

* * *

><p>"She's lying," Apollo said flatly to Phoenix.<p>

"Apollo, please tell me you know where you're going with this," Phoenix begged.

"She's the real murderer," Apollo told him. "All I have to do is prove it."

"What?" Phoenix gasped. "How do you know?"

"Pearl channeled the victim, and he said it was her," Apollo replied. "I know I can't really call the victim to testify, but I know I can prove that what he said is true."

"Knock 'em dead, Apollo," Phoenix encouraged him.

* * *

><p><em><span>Rebuttal<span>_

_It happened around eight thirty in the morning._

_I saw that girl sitting over there walk up to Danny._

_She attacked him brutally, and he fell to the ground._

_She dropped the textbook she used to attack him on the ground next to him._

_There was barely any blood there, but I'm sure poor Danny was dead._

**OBJECTION!**

Apollo smirked triumphantly as he crossed his arms. "I want to believe you, Miss Shay," he said. "I really do. But how can I when there's a gaping hole in your testimony?"

"What are you talking about?" she retorted. "My testimony was flawless!" Apollo shook his head.

"No it wasn't," he refuted. "You said there was 'barely any blood there'. However, the defendant, Pearl Fey, _clearly_ testified that there was a pool of blood emanating from the gash on the victim's forehead! How do you plan on explaining this inconsistency?"

"**OBJECTION!**" Winston screeched. "Who do you think is more likely to lie? The defendant or the witness?"

"**OBJECTION!**" Apollo yelled. He slammed his hands down on the table in front of him. "You yourself called the defendant as a witness! She testified under oath! Ergo, what she said was the complete and total truth!"

"**OBJECTION!**" Winston refuted. "It is still possible for the defendant, or even the witness for that matter, to lie! But your so-called evidence cannot prove or disprove that!" There was pin-drop silence in the courtroom. Apollo broke into a cold sweat as he hung his head. _He's right. I know for a fact that Pearl didn't lie, but I still can't use her testimony as evidence. _Suddenly, something soft collided with his head. Apollo turned his head and saw Pearl in the defendant's chair staring intently at him. He looked down and saw a piece of paper crumpled into a ball. He bent down, picked it up, and began to read it. _Ask her to testify about what exactly she saw me do_, it read._ Just trust me on this one._ Apollo tucked his hands behind his back nervously.

"Um…" he began hesitantly. "Your Honor, the defense requests that the witness testifies about what exactly she saw the defendant do." The judge nodded.

"Very well," he said. "Miss Shay, please testify to the court what you saw Miss Pearl Fey do."

* * *

><p><em><span>Witness Testimony: How Pearl Fey attacked Daniel Finch<span>_

_Sigh… Do I really have to go into this much detail?_

_I saw the ghost girl freak walk up to Danny with that textbook tucked under her arm._

_I think he heard her approaching because he turned around to face her._

_She whacked him in the head with the textbook, and he doubled over._

_Then he stood up, only to be hit again._

"Are you happy now?" she asked Apollo. "What's the point in all of this anyway?"

"Miss Shay, I thought you, of all people, would be a bit more sympathetic in this situation," Apollo told her. "You were the defendant's girlfriend, correct?" She massaged her right hand.

"So what?" she retorted. "What does that have to do with anything?" Apollo crossed his arms and smirked at her.

"Miss Shay, that has _everything_ to do with this case."

* * *

><p><em><span>Rebuttal<span>_

_Sigh… Do I really have to go into this much detail?_

_I saw the ghost girl freak walk up to Danny with that textbook tucked under her arm._

_I think he heard her approaching because he turned around to face her._

_She whacked him in the head with the textbook, and he doubled over._

_Then he stood up, only to be hit again._

**HOLD IT!**

Apollo frowned in concentration and pressed his finger against his forehead. "So are you saying she hit him _twice_?" he asked.

"Yeah," Quinn replied. "She hit him once, and when he tried standing back up, she hit him again." Apollo smirked.

"I see…" he mused. "Can you please add this to your testimony?" Quinn shrugged.

"Sure," she said. "I don't see the point, though."

* * *

><p><em>The ghost girl freak hit Danny twice with that textbook. I saw everything.<em>

**OBJECTION!**

Apollo crossed his arms and smirked triumphantly. "I'm so very sorry, Miss Shay, but I'm finding it harder and harder to believe you."

"What do you mean?" she asked, rubbing her neck again.

"If you take a look at the victim's autopsy report here…" Apollo began, pulling out the manila envelope the judge handed to him earlier, "it says that the victim, Daniel Finch, died immediately from _one_ blow to the head."

"Wh-What?" Quinn stuttered.

"First of all, the victim _couldn't_ have stood up after being hit once because death was immediate," Apollo continued. "_Second_ of all, he died from only _one_ blow to the head." Apollo slammed his hands down on the table and leaned forward. "_Quinn Shay, your testimony is bogus!_"

"Asshole!" she snarled at him. "Who the hell do you think you are?" The spectators in the courtroom broke into incessant chatter. The judge banged his gavel futilely.

"Order!" he shouted. "Order! Order! Order in the court!"

"Nice job, Apollo," Phoenix said from the side. "You found _two_ contradictions in _one_ statement. That takes skill."

"That's not good enough," Apollo refuted. "I heard there was a defense attorney who got _four_ contradictions out of _one_ statement." Phoenix smirked.

"Sorry Apollo, but that 'defense attorney' wasn't really a defense attorney at all," Phoenix retorted. "He was a prosecutor."

"What?" Apollo gasped.

"But that's irrelevant to this case," Phoenix concluded.

"Witness!" the judge shouted. "What is the meaning of this?"

"So she hit him once!" Quinn acknowledged. "What difference does it make? She still killed him!" The judge sighed exasperatedly.

"Witness, please testify what you _really_ saw to the court," the judge ordered, "and tell the truth!"

* * *

><p><em><span>Witness Testimony: What Really Happened<span>_

_Ok, so the ghost girl freak hit poor Danny once, not twice._

_What difference does it make? She still killed him!_

_How many times she hit him doesn't change the fact that she bludgeoned poor Danny to death._

_So, Mister Lawyer, you can take your precious contradictions and shove them up your ass._

* * *

><p>"Talk about a difficult witness," Phoenix muttered. <em>My bracelet reacted<em>, Apollo though._ I know she's lying._ "Something up, Apollo?"

"My bracelet tightened," he whispered.

"Ah," Phoenix said knowingly. "So you've _perceived_ something."

"I don't know if it's relevant or not," Apollo admitted.

"It doesn't matter," Phoenix retorted, shaking his head. "Tap the bracelet icon to zoom in on the witness. Zero in on her little habits and then tap the Perceive button to go for the kill. Surely you haven't forgotten, Apollo."

"Of course not!" he hissed in response. _You're going down, witness. Quinn Shay, here comes Justice!_

* * *

><p><em><span>Rebuttal<span>_

_Ok, so the ghost girl freak hit poor Danny once, not twice._

_What difference does it make? She still killed him!_

_How many times she hit him doesn't change the fact that she bludgeoned poor Danny to death._

Apollo felt his bracelet tighten around his wrist as she massaged her hand. He squinted at her left hand, which rubbed her right hand furiously.

**GOTCHA!**

"Miss Shay, you may not be aware of this, but you massage your right hand whenever you mention 'poor Danny' being 'bludgeoned to death'," Apollo said.

"I…" Quinn mumbled. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Witness, please show me your right hand," Apollo ordered.

"I…" Quinn mumbled. "No! I won't!"

"There should be no problem, right?" Apollo retorted. "It's not like there's anything _incriminating_ you on your hand. So, Miss Shay, please show the court your hand."

"Ugh, fine!" Quinn yelled. "But it's irrelevant! Irrelevant, I say!" Quinn removed her left hand, and Apollo saw her right hand for the first time. There was a bandage wrapped tightly around her middle and ring fingers. There was another bandage wrapped around her hand itself.

"Miss Shay, did you injure yourself recently?" Apollo asked. "Why is your hand bandaged?"

"Um…" Quinn mumbled. "I…"

"Here's what I think happened," Apollo continued. "Quinn Shay, _you_ murdered Daniel Finch! But you accidentally injured yourself by dropping the textbook on your right hand! _Then_ you attempted to hide it from the court by covering up your right hand while you testified!"

"KYAAAA!" Quinn screamed, grasping her head with both hands.

"I believe I can take that as a confession," Apollo said, crossing his arms and smirking triumphantly. "Quinn Shay, you killed Daniel Finch on the morning of September 5. Then you dropped the textbook in his blood, but accidentally crushed your middle and your ring finger with it. You knew that _someone_ would see the body, so you hid and waited. When Pearl arrived and picked up the textbook, you saw it as the perfect opportunity and called the police immediately, knowing that they would arrest her."

"**OBJECTION!**" Winston screeched. "What the defense is implying is all baseless conjecture!"

"**OBJECTION!**" Apollo shouted. "Just look at the witness's face! Isn't that enough proof that she did it?" Quinn was biting her fingernails and sweating profusely. She was blushing furiously and her face was twisted into a scowl.

"Wh-Why would I go through all that trouble?" Quinn stuttered. "Danny was my _boyfriend_. Why would I want to kill him?"

"I think she's asking for a _motive_, Apollo," Phoenix whispered. _Damn it,_ Apollo cursed. _I didn't think this all the way through. Why _would_ she want to kill him? I don't have any evidence that can prove that!_ Apollo slammed his hands down on the table.

"Your Honor—" he began.

**OBJECTION!**

Pearl shrieked and Apollo turned to look in her direction. A cloaked figure stood behind her with a knife pressed to her throat. He wore a blue silk hat that cast a shadow on his face. The judge banged his gavel. "Wh-What is the meaning of this?" he yelled.

"A recess," the cloaked figure said. "Now. Or this girl dies."

"Ah…" the judge whimpered. "Uh… Ok…" He banged his gavel. "C-Court will adjourn for a thirty-minute recess!" He banged his gavel again. Phoenix smirked in amusement.

"Was that…?" he began.

"Mr. Hat?" Apollo finished. "Yes." He hung his head. "Not _again_!"

XX

**Aaaand Mr. Hat saves the day! Ok, **_**now**_** it's fairly obvious who the murderer is. I'll give you a hint. It's not Winston Payne. It's not Mr. Hat either. I hope Apollo's accusations didn't sound **_**too**_** outrageous… And I've been watching WAY too much Glee. DAMN YOU QUINN FABRAY EXPY! And yes, the prosecutor who found four contradictions in one statement was Edgeworth. PLEASE REVIEW!**


	4. Turnabout Revival: Part 3

_September 7, 12:43 PM_

_District Court_

_Defendant Lobby No. 3_

"Trucy!" Apollo yelled as soon as he entered the defendant lobby. He found Trucy standing there with Maya, a white-faced Pearl and Mr. Hat.

"Trucy, what have I said about using Mr. Hat to fake kidnappings to interrupt court sessions?" Phoenix asked, crossing his arms and frowning. Trucy smiled sheepishly at him.

"Don't do it?" she guessed.

"Exactly," Phoenix replied flatly.

"But Polly really looked like he needed help!" Mr. Hat protested. "How was he supposed to prove that the witness was the real murderer if he didn't even have the right evidence? Which is where I come in. The amazing Mr. Hat never fails!" Phoenix sighed.

"Are you ok, Pearl?" Apollo asked.

"I-I'm fine…" Pearl said quietly.

"Trucy, next time you fake a kidnapping, pretend to kidnap yourself, ok?" Apollo said.

"Yeah, yeah," she grumbled, waving her hand dismissively.

"Where _were_ you two?" Phoenix asked Trucy and Maya. "When did you even leave the courtroom?"

"When that witness was called," Maya replied. "I channeled the victim, and he told us that some Quinnie killed him. So we went back to the crime scene to investigate!"

"You mean the high school?" Pearl asked.

"Yeah!" Trucy affirmed. "Observe." She pulled out a pair of blue panties with red lace and hearts. Apollo raised his eyebrows.

"Your panties?" he asked incredulously.

"My _magic_ panties," Trucy clarified. "My magic _expandable_ panties that can grow to a size large enough to hold a bunch of evidence that'll get Pearly off the hook!" Apollo's eyes widened.

"You brought evidence?" he asked. "Let me see!" He practically lunged towards Trucy, but Maya shoved him back.

"Hold your horses, Polly," she warned.

"Exhibit A," Trucy announced as she pulled a folded sheet of paper out of the panties. Maya unfolded the paper, cleared her throat and began to read.

"'To whom it may concern'," she began dramatically, "'you may not be aware of it, but our beloved star quarterback, Daniel Finch, has a wild side. You see, athletes, not even he was above sleeping with another girl and openly flirting and sexting with other girls behind his girlfriend's back.' Then it just goes to list everything bad he did with other women." _Locker Room Notice added to Court Record._

"So he cheated on her?" Phoenix asked. "I guess that takes care of the motive, then."

"There were _dozens_ of these posted in the boys and girls locker rooms," Trucy said excitedly. "Now it's time for exhibit B." She pulled a purple scarf out of the panties. The only thing wrong with it was…

"Is that blood?" Apollo asked.

"Yes it is, Polly," Trucy affirmed.

"The victim's blood, to be exact," Maya clarified.

"Where did you get that?" Phoenix questioned, frowning and pointing at the scarf.

"Quinnie's locker," Trucy answered simply, smiling.

"Trucy!" Phoenix yelled. "You broke into her locker? Maya, why didn't you stop her?"

"Geez, Nick, give it a rest!" Maya yelled. "We didn't _break into_ her locker. I channeled the victim and he let us in. Besides, her name's on the tag, so we know it's hers." _Bloody Scarf added to Court Record._

"Now it's time for Exhibit C," Trucy announced as she pulled out a white spray bottle. "Spray this on the murder weapon and we'll be undefeatable!"

"Is that Luminol?" Phoenix asked, pointing to it with his finger.

"It sure is, Nick!" Maya affirmed. _Luminol added to Court Record._

"Mr. Justice," the bailiff called. "It's time."

"Ok, so all you have to do is go in there and convince everyone that Quinnie did it!" Trucy told Apollo. "And sorry for the scare, Pearly."

"It's ok," Pearl replied quietly.

"Get Pearly off the hook, Apollo," Maya ordered, "or you'll be spending some quality time with Dahlia Hawthorne!"

"Who's Dahlia Hawthorne?" Apollo and Trucy asked simultaneously.

"Irrelevant to this case," Phoenix said fleetingly. "Now come on." He grabbed Apollo by the back of his collar and began dragging him back into the courtroom. "We have a trial to win."

* * *

><p><em>September 7, 1:13 PM<em>

_District Court_

_Courtroom No. 3_

The spectators in the courtroom talked among themselves, and the judge banged down his gavel to silence. "Court will now reconvene for the trial of Miss Pearl Fey," he announced. "Miss Fey, are you alright?"

"I-I'm fine, Your Honor," Pearl replied shakily.

"Good," the judge said. "Before the recess, the defense stated that the real murderer was _not_ Pearl Fey, but rather the victim's girlfriend, Quinn Shay. Mr. Justice, is this correct?" Apollo nodded.

"That is correct, Your Honor," he said.

"**OBJECTION!**" Winston screeched. "The defense also lacked sufficient evidence to prove this fact."

"**OBJECTION!**" Apollo yelled. He slammed his fists down on the table. "Your Honor, during the recess, the defense team went to investigate the crime scene and has found some evidence that proves that Miss Quinn Shay was the real murderer."

"Let's see this evidence, then," the judge said. Apollo pulled out the sheet of paper Trucy handed him earlier.

"Several of these were tacked onto the walls of the boys and girls locker rooms at Kurain High School," Apollo stated. He handed it to the judge, and the judge began reading immediately.

"So the victim cheated on the witness…" he mused.

"That would prove to be a sufficient motive for murdering the victim, Your Honor," Phoenix pointed out.

"Ah yes," the judge continued. "Very well. The court accepts this into evidence."

"This is a scarf found near the crime scene," Apollo said, pulling out the bloody scarf.

"Is that blood?" the judge asked. Apollo nodded.

"Yes, Your Honor," he affirmed. "And the witness's name is clearly written on the tag."

"Ah!" the judge gasped. "The court accepts this into evidence!" Apollo crossed his arms and smirked triumphantly.

"So you see, Your Honor," he began dramatically, "this is how it happened. Quinn Shay, enraged that the victim, Daniel Finch, cheated on her, murdered her ex-boyfriend in cold blood on the morning of September 5 by hitting him on the head with an extremely heavy textbook and dropped the murder weapon in his blood. However, she accidentally dropped the textbook on her hand, injuring herself. Then she waited in the bushes for someone to arrive. Sure enough, the defendant, Pearl Fey, saw the dead body and, in a state of shock, picked up the textbook, which was how the murder weapon came to be marked with her fingerprints. The true killer, Quinn Shay, apprehended Pearl immediately and called the police. Before they arrived, she moved the textbook out of the victim's blood and wiped off most of the blood with her scarf, though she took special care to leave Pearl's fingerprints on it."

"**OBJECTION!**" Winston screeched. "What the defense is insinuating is all baseless conjecture!"

"**OBJECTION!**" Apollo yelled. He slammed his fists down on the table. "I have a way we can prove this. Irrefutable evidence that Quinn Shay is the murderer, if you will."

"Very well, Mr. Justice," the judge said. "Show us this irrefutable evidence." Apollo pulled out the Luminol spray bottle.

"This is Luminol Testing Fluid," Apollo told the court. "It's used to test for traces of blood. If we spray this on the textbook's cover, we'll be able to see whether or not Pearl Fey's testimony is true." He turned to Pearl and smiled. "Miss Fey, would you like to do the honors?"

"With pleasure," she replied. Apollo made his way over to the defendant's chair and handed her both the textbook and the bottle of Luminol. She sprayed it over the cover and gasped, covering her mouth as she did so.

"It…" she mumbled. "It…" The entire bloodstained cover was now glowing blue.

"There's a reaction, Your Honor," Apollo said. "A reaction on the entire back cover. Well Miss Shay? What do you have to say to _that_?" The spectators began murmuring to each other. The judge banged his gavel.

"Order!" he shouted. "Order! Order in the court! Witness! What is the meaning of this?" Quinn glowered at Apollo and Pearl.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" she screamed as she threw her head back and covered her ears. The bailiff's dragged her away from the witness stand.

"It's finally over," the judge said. "After that outburst, I am ready to hand down my verdict. The court finds the defendant, Pearl Fey, **NOT GUILTY**."

* * *

><p><em>September 7, 1:52 PM<em>

_District Court_

_Defendant Lobby No. 3_

"Apollo, that was amazing!" Pearl cheered as she threw her arms around the defense attorney.

"Way to go, Polly!" Trucy said.

"See Maya?" Phoenix asked his old assistant. "I told you the extra pressure would make him perform better."

"Wait, so you…" Apollo mumbled.

"Nick was never really going to fire you," Maya assured him, "and I wasn't going to channel Dahlia Hawthorne to haunt you either."

"Daddy, who's Dahlia Hawthorne?" Trucy asked.

"Yeah," Apollo agreed. "You owe us an explanation."

"I owe you nothing," Phoenix refuted.

"After threatening to channel her the whole trial?" Apollo retorted. "Come on, Mr. Wright!" Pearl giggled.

"Don't worry," she said. "I'll explain everything later."

"Pearly!" Maya yelled. Pearl shrugged.

"Well she _is_ my sister," she pointed out.

"Wait, Dahlia Hawthorne's your _sister_?" Trucy asked. "Then shouldn't your name be Pearly Hawthorne?"

"Well half-sister," Pearl admitted, "but it's pretty much the same thing." Suddenly, a low rumbling noise echoed throughout the defendant lobby.

"Nick, I'm hungry," Maya complained.

"Yeah, me too, Mr. Wright," Apollo agreed. Phoenix chuckled.

"All right, let's all go out for lunch together," he suggested. "What do you guys want to eat?"

"Burgers!" Maya shouted.

"Noodles!" Trucy shouted. Phoenix stared uncertainly at Maya, then at Trucy.

"I-I'm good with burgers, I guess," he mumbled. "What about you Apollo?"

"Noodles sound _great_ right now," he replied.

"All right, Pearly," Maya said. "You're the tie breaker. What do you want to eat?" Pearl placed her hand on her chin and frowned contemplatively.

"Hmm…" she mused. "I feel like…" She smiled at Apollo. "Noodles."

"Ok," Phoenix said. "Noodles it is."

"Let's go for burgers tomorrow, Daddy!" Trucy suggested.

"Why don't we just focus on lunch _today_ for now?" Phoenix asked rhetorically.

_So my first murder trial since Vera Misham's was a huge success. I mean, sure, I feared for my job and my life because Mr. Wright and Miss Fey kept threatening to fire me and channel a malignant spirit to haunt me respectively, but in the end, I got two great friends. Things were going to get a lot better. I was absolutely sure of it._

XX

**Woooo I'm done with the first "tutorial" case! And yay for Polly/Pearly undertones! **

**NEXT TIME ON APOLLO JUSTICE: NEW BEGINNINGS… Works by the famous painter Nicholas Dreinim are disappearing day by day. The prime suspects? The great thief Yatagarasu and the legendary Masque*deMasque.**

**PLEASE REVIEW!**


	5. Turnabout Composition: Prologue

**Now it's time for case two… Turnabout Composition! The name's inspired by Kandinsky's various compositions… and for those who don't know, Kandinsky is a famous painter from the twentieth century who specialized in abstract art. Enjoy!**

XX

_November 18, 10:38 AM_

_Wright Anything Agency_

"Hey Polly!" Maya greeted as soon as she and Pearl entered the Wright Anything Agency. "Hey Trucy! Is Nick here?" Apollo lounged lazily on one couch and Trucy lay sprawled out across a futon. Instead of the black coat she donned in her trial earlier, Pearl wore purple robes similar to Maya's.

"Hey Maya, hey Pearly," Trucy greeted, bending her head backwards to look at them. "Daddy's not here right now, but he said he'd be back soon."

"Great!" Maya said as she and Pearl sat down next to Apollo.

"We just wanted to know if we could work here again," Pearl said quietly.

"I don't think Mr. Wright would have a problem with it," Apollo told her. "I mean, you guys _were_ his old assistants, right?"

"I was," Maya replied. "Pearly just tagged along with us."

"Well how could I _not_ when you and Mr. Nick were being all lovey-dovey?" Pearl retorted, raising her eyebrows.

"Yeah, that's only 'cause you kept setting us up!" Maya shot back. Pearl simply giggled.

"What happened all those years ago?" Apollo deadpanned.

"Seriously Pearly, if you want lovey-dovey, you seriously need to watch Mia and Mr. Armando," Maya said. She smacked her forehead and groaned. "Oh my god, they would _not_ stop eating each other's faces. It was _really_ annoying." Suddenly, the phone rang.

"I'll get it!" Pearl announced as she skipped over to the silver phone. She picked it up, pressed a button on it, and held it against her ear. "Hi, you've reached the Wright Anything Agency where we're always Wright on your side."

"New motto!" Trucy cheered. "That's _perfect_!" Pearl smiled.

"This is Pearl Fey speaking," Pearl continued. "How may I help you?" She fell silent, and then her eyes widened. "Oh, Mr. Edgeworth! I'm so sorry, I didn't even recognize you!"

"Edgeworth?" Apollo and Maya shouted simultaneously.

"No, he's not here right now, but he'll be back soon," Pearl said. She glanced over at the clock. "If you want to drop by, I'm sure you'll be able to catch him." She fell silent again. "Yeah… Mm-hmm… Yeah, great. Ok, see you soon Mr. Edgeworth!"

"Was that Miles Edgeworth?" Trucy asked as soon as Pearl hung up.

"Yup!" Pearl replied cheerfully.

"_The_ Miles Edgeworth?" Apollo clarified, his face turning milky white. Pearl raised her eyebrows slightly.

"Unless you know someone else named Edgeworth…" she mumbled.

"I'm going to die…" Apollo muttered. "He's going to prosecute me and he's going to whip my ass. I'm going to die."Pearl giggled.

"Don't worry, Apollo," she assured him. "Mr. Edgeworth's a really nice person! Besides, he used to help out Mr. Nick a lot back when he was still a lawyer."

"It was really great watching them in court," Maya added. "Firing objections at each other, screaming at the top of their lungs…" She sighed. "Those were the days."

"Hmm…" Trucy mused. "Kind of like you and Klavier, Apollo." Apollo groaned.

"I'm going to die," he repeated.

"Y-You don't know for sure if he's going to prosecute against you yet," Pearl reminded him, "so you have nothing to worry about. Besides, he's coming here soon. He said he needed Mr. Nick's help with something."

"_Edgeworth_ admitting that he needs _Nick's_ help?" Maya asked incredulously. "That's a laugh."

"But didn't you two defend him in court?" Pearl asked.

"Yeah, but he didn't outright ask us," Maya refuted. "Actually, on the contrary, he tried to keep us as far away from the case as possible. And even when he actually _let_ us defend him, it was more like, 'Well, you're better than any old state-appointed lawyer, so you'll have to do'." Maya rubbed her chin. "Hmm… maybe he's in prison again."

"Didn't he just say he was going to visit?" Apollo retorted.

"Oh yeah," Maya said airily. The door swung open, and Phoenix strolled in with his arm around a dark-haired girl. Maya and Pearl jumped up, smiling.

"Iris!" they both yelled as they ran to hug the girl. The girl Iris chuckled as she hugged Maya and Pearl back.

"Apollo, Trucy, this is Iris Hawthorne," Phoenix introduced. "She's an old friend of mine from college. Due to a series of misunderstandings and mishaps, she's been in prison for the past eight years, but she was just released today." He turned to Iris. "Iris, this is Trucy and Apollo."

"I've been looking forward to meeting you two," she said, pleasantly smiling at them both. "Feenie's told me so much about you." Apollo sniggered.

"Feenie?" he repeated. Phoenix's eyes narrowed into slits.

"Drop it, Apollo," he snapped at him.

"Wait, is this Dollie Daddy?" Trucy asked. "I mean, I saw that old prom picture of yours and it said in silver sharpie, 'Feenie and Dollie forever'."

"Umm…" Phoenix and Iris mumbled awkwardly, their faces turning red as they stared uncertainly at each other. "Yeah," Phoenix answered finally. "It's a long story, so I'll give you the details later."

"So when are you two tying the knot?" Maya asked excitedly.

"I mean, Iris is your _special someone_, right?" Pearl asked. Phoenix and Iris both turned red.

"C-Can we just drop this?" Iris stuttered.

"Wait, so if she's a potential Mommy, why haven't I met her before?" Trucy asked, crossing her arms and frowning slightly.

"Because I've been in prison for the past eight years," Iris answered simply.

"_What_?" Trucy and Apollo shouted.

"She readjusted a crime scene and took all the blame for the crime someone else committed," Phoenix elaborated. "Because of that, she's an 'accomplice to murder'." He jerked his head to the side and glared. "I can't believe I trusted freaking Gavin with her case…" Trucy glanced from Iris to Pearl.

"Whoa…" she mumbled. "You two _do_ look alike…" Pearl giggled.

"I get that a lot," she said. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. "I'll get it!" Pearl skipped over to the door and opened it. "Hi Mr. Edgeworth!" Edgeworth nodded his head slightly.

"Miss Fey," he greeted curtly. He had traded his magenta suit for a dark grey one, but he still wore his signature fluffy cravat. A pair of thick-rimmed black glasses was perched on his nose, several white strands appeared in his formerly grey hair, and wrinkles were beginning to form near his eyes.

"Hey Edgeworth," Phoenix greeted casually. "I see the years haven't been treating you well."

"Don't be mean, Feenie," Iris reprimanded. "It's nice to see you again, Mr. Edgeworth."

"Yeah Nick!" Maya agreed. Edgeworth smirked lightly.

"Well we all aren't so lucky," he said simply.

"So what brings you here?" Phoenix asked as Edgeworth entered the office and sat gingerly down on the couch.

"I need you to defend someone," Edgeworth said bluntly. "I heard from Franziska that you finally got your badge back."

"He did, but he can't practice until he watches five of my trials," Apollo refuted.

"Then perhaps you're the person I should speak to," Edgeworth amended. The phone rang, and Phoenix went to answer it. "As I was saying before, a friend of mine is a suspect in a grand larceny case. Have you ever heard of Nicholas Dreinim?"

"Oh yeah!" Trucy answered brightly. "We're huge fans of his." A hint of a smile appeared on Edgeworth's face as he nodded.

"Yes, well you see, they've been disappearing," he said.

"WHAT?" Trucy and Maya yelled simultaneously. "They're being stolen, right?" Maya asked. "Tell me who it is, and I'll kick their ass!" Edgeworth sighed heavily.

"I don't know who it is, Maya," Edgeworth protested. "You see, two calling cards have been appearing near each one: the Yatagarasu's and Masque*deMasque's."

"So they're both the prime suspects," Apollo said.

"Exactly," Edgeworth replied. "But you see, what's completely and utterly outrageous about this is that Masque*deMasque… shall we say… quit his profession eight years ago, and the Yatagarasu has no interest in stealing material objects, such as paintings."

"So someone's probably impersonating them," Apollo guessed, "or someone's stealing the paintings, but leaving their calling cards behind to frame them."

"That's what I believe, at least," Edgeworth said, "but I have no authority to investigate this case."

"Why not?" Trucy asked.

"Because I turned it down," Edgeworth replied. "You see, the Yatagarasu is my good friend Kay Faraday."

"So you want us to defend her?" Trucy asked. "We'll do it."

"Apollo, we've got a case on our hands," Phoenix said as he plopped down on the couch next to Edgewroth. "An old client of mine, Ron deLite, used to be blackmailed into stealing valuable items under the pseudonym Masque*deMasque."

"Wait, so we have to defend both of them?" Apollo asked in alarm.

"What do you mean by 'both of them'?" Phoenix asked.

"We just agreed to defending Mr. Edgeworth's friend who happens to be the Yatagarasu," Trucy answered.

"Who happens to be the other suspect of this case," Apollo added. Phoenix cocked his head to the side.

"Well it _is_ the same case," he mused. "If we prove the innocence of one, it should be fairly easy to prove the innocence of the other. When's Kay's trial Edgeworth?"

"Tomorrow," Edgeworth answered promptly.

"Then it appears we have a problem," Phoenix said simply. "Ron deLite's trial is tomorrow as well."

"What time is his trial?" Edgeworth asked.

"Ten in the morning," Phoenix replied.

"Kay's is at three in the afternoon," Edgeworth said. "If you don't have any objections to standing in two trials in one day, then we don't have a problem."

"You can't back out of Ron's defense, Apollo," Phoenix warned his understudy. "I gave him my word."

"Well I gave Mr. Edgeworth my word too," Apollo replied. "So no. I don't have any objections to standing in two trials in one day."

"To make it easier, let's try to finish both on the first day," Trucy suggested.

"Sounds like a plan," Phoenix said finally.

"Count us in too," Maya said.

"Yeah," Pearl agreed. "We want to help."

"Hey, I'm not stopping you," Phoenix said. "Now I think it's time we all headed down to the detention center, don't you?"

XX

**WOO I'M NOT DEAD! Now I actually had a legitimate reason for not posting this sooner. I'm still not done with Ace Attorney Investigations, and I'm trying to finish it as fast as I can. As always, PLEASE REVIEW!**


	6. Turnabout Composition: Part 1

**I am SO pathetic. "…Yeah. I was saving [the Swiss roll] for Daddy." I seriously burst into tears when Kay made that face and said that. No, she didn't even start crying yet. I WAS FREAKING CRYING FIRST. And then I proceeded to cry throughout the entire scene. NOT EVEN EDGEWORTH AND DIEGO MADE ME CRY THAT MUCH. And then I cried at every subsequent appearance… basically, I cried at every Kay scene after the one where she castrated Edgeworth.**

**AND I LOVE TYRELL BADD. SO, SO MUCH. And Byrne Faraday, even though he doesn't get enough screentime.**

**I noticed that the last chapter was rather… lackluster. I was in such a hurry to post it that I didn't spend much time editing, and for that, I apologize. So here's the second part of Turnabout Composition. We'll actually get some investigations in here too. Enjoy!**

XX

_November 18, 11:02 AM_

_Detention Center_

The motley group arrived at the detention center and promptly proceeded to meet a girl younger than Maya, but older than Trucy and Pearl, with black hair thrown back messily into a sort of half-ponytail and bright green eyes. "Kay," Edgeworth greeted curtly. "It's been awhile." Kay grinned.

"Hi Mr. Edgeworth!" she greeted.

"You know Kay, I appreciate that you let me know that you were in detention, but you really shouldn't have wasted your one phone call on me," Edgeworth said. "You should have called a defense attorney." Kay scoffed and crossed her arms.

"Yeah, and who was I supposed to call anyway?" she retorted. "Calisto Yew?" Edgeworth sighed.

"Point taken," he muttered.

"So who are these?" Kay asked, peering at Phoenix, Maya, Pearl, Trucy and Apollo.

"These are Phoenix and Trucy Wright, Maya and Pearl Fey, Iris Hawthorne, and Apollo Justice," Edgeworth introduced.

"Oh right!" Kay gasped in realization. "You're that Wrighto person! Mr. Edgeworth said you'd defend me!" Phoenix's eyes narrowed into slits.

"Wrighto," he repeated. "Right. I'm sure _Little Worthy_ already filled you in on the details." Edgeworth and Phoenix glared at each other.

"Am I missing something here?" Apollo whispered to Maya.

"Trust me, Polly," Maya whispered, patting his back sympathetically. "You're not the only one."

"Be nice you two," Iris warned.

"Anyway, it's Wright," Phoenix corrected. "You know, like the Wright brothers?"

"Sorry," Kay apologized, giggling a little. _She seems a little cheerful for someone in detention_, Apollo thought.

"Sorry, but _I'm_ going to be your attorney," Apollo interjected. "I'm Apollo Justice, Mr. Wright's understudy."

"Great!" Kay cheered. "You're better than some old state-appointed attorney anyway."

"Why don't you tell us what happened, Kay?" Pearl suggested gently. Kay crossed her arms and exhaled sharply.

"Ok, so yesterday this old man named Arthur Barrymore apparently had this painting by Nicholas Dreinim stolen," Kay explained. "And my calling card was where the painting was supposed to be."

"What do you mean, 'your calling card'?" Trucy asked.

"Exactly that!" Kay yelled. "I didn't do anything that day!"

"And you're the Yama…" Apollo stammered. "Yaga…"

"Yatagarasu!" Kay corrected. "I'm the great thief Yatagarasu! …But I did _not_ steal that painting."

"You're not exactly helping your case, Kay," Edgeworth deadpanned. Kay slammed her hands down on the table in front of her.

"I'm not lying!" she insisted. "I don't _care_ about expensive, pricy treasures! The only thing the Yatagarasu cares for is the truth."

"So what were you doing the night the painting was stolen?" Trucy asked.

"I was…" Kay began uncertainly. She exhaled sharply. "…sitting at home eating Swiss rolls and watching _The Jammin' Ninja_."

"Miss Faraday, I honestly believe you're innocent, but that's not much of an alibi," Phoenix told her.

"I know…" Kay mumbled sadly. "But I really didn't steal that painting. I didn't even go anywhere _near_ Mr. Barrymore's house that day."

"So Miss Faraday didn't go to the victim's house that day, but he still somehow ended up with her calling card…" Iris mused.

"That sounds about right," Kay said.

"Thank you," Apollo said.

"Hey, don't mention it," Kay replied casually.

"We should go," Phoenix suggested.

"I'll stay here," Edgeworth said. "Wright, there's something you should know. Kay only _calls_ herself the Yatagarasu to carry on her father's legacy. She's really an Interpol agent."

"Really?" Phoenix asked.

"Yes," Edgeworth affirmed. "Her late father, Prosecutor Byrne Faraday, along with Detective Tyrell Bad and a member of an international smuggling ring Calisto Yew made up the Yatagarasu, a thief of sorts that exposed corruption in the business world."

"What did they steal?" Apollo asked.

"Secrets," Edgeworth replied. "Secrets of underhand dealings, lies and corrupt bargains. Together, they exposed them all. Kay is trying to carry on their legacy by any means possible within the law. She became an Interpol agent to obtain access to all of this. She was simply arrested for being Byrne Faraday's daughter."

"Well that isn't fair," Trucy grumbled. "She can't help who her daddy is!" Edgeworth shook his head.

"But all the evidence points to her," he refuted.

"Why don't we go visit our other client?" Phoenix suggested. "I can't shake off the feeling that these two cases are connected."

"The fact that two paintings from two different locations were reported stolen at exactly the same time is rather suspicious," Edgeworth mused.

"Maybe we'll learn something new by talking to Masque*deMasque," Apollo suggested. The group made their way over to the other end of the detention center. A woman with long brown hair stood in front of a glass window.

"It's good to see you again, Mr. and Mrs. DeLite," Phoenix greeted pleasantly.

"Oh, Nicky boy!" the woman exclaimed.

"Hello…" the man behind the glass window said meekly.

"Everyone, this is Desirée DeLite, the wife of our client," Phoenix introduced.

"Excuse me…" the red-haired man mumbled.

"The _pregnant_ wife of your client!" Desirée corrected. Maya clapped her hands together in glee.

"Congratulations!" she said happily.

"PLEEEAAASE, DON'T IGNORE MEEEEEEE!" the man wailed. Phoenix smirked in amusement and gestured towards him.

"And this is our client, Ron DeLite," Phoenix said awkwardly.

"So is it a boy or a girl?" Trucy asked, bouncing on the balls of her feet.

"It's a boy!" Desirée replied. "We're going to name him Harry."

"That's a nice name," Pearl commented.

"Can we please get on with the case?" Apollo complained. "Mr. DeLite, please tell us what happened."

"W-Well, a painting by Nicholas Dreinim in an art show in Ivy University was stolen yesterday," Ron explained, "and they found my old calling card there. I don't know why it was there in the first place because I quit being Masque*deMasque years ago and Dessie and I are doing fine so I have no motive to steal…" He trailed off, his voice becoming quieter and quieter.

"So where were you on the night it was stolen?" Trucy asked.

"We were goin' to get a sonogram done!" Desirée answered.

"That really is the perfect alibi," Maya commented. "All we need to do is get the doctor to testify that you were at his office that night."

"Wait, but what about Miss Faraday's case?" Trucy asked. "This isn't going to help her at all!"

"There wasn't any guarantee that it was, Trucy," Phoenix told her. "Maybe the two cases really are unrelated."

"Two paintings reported stolen at the same time with a legendary thief's calling card at each scene?" Apollo retorted. "A coincidence? I don't buy it for even a second."

"It just seems too… convenient," Pearl added.

"So what are we going to do?" Iris asked.

"We'll just have to investigate the crime scenes," Phoenix said.

"There aren't nearly enough hours in the day to investigate both together," Edgeworth said suddenly, "and don't think for even a second that you can cut me out of the investigation."

"So we'll split up," Phoenix suggested. "Mrs. DeLite and I will head down to Ivy U and investigate there."

"I'm coming too!" Maya announced.

"M-Me too," Iris added.

"Ok, so Trucy, Pearl, Mr. Edgeworth and I will investigate Mr. Barrymore's house," Apollo said.

"We'll meet back at the office at around ten o'clock tonight," Phoenix said. "Good luck. You'll need it."

* * *

><p><em>November 18, 12:16 PM<em>

_Barrymore Mansion_

_Front Porch_

"This is his _house_?" Trucy gasped as she stared up at the large mansion. It was a large white dome-shaped building with Corinthian columns on the front porch and stained glass windows.

"Evidently so," Edgeworth replied.

"And just Mr. Barrymore lives here?" Pearl asked. "No wife, no kids?"

"How could one person need all this _space_?" Apollo asked. Trucy stepped up hesitantly and rang the doorbell. A low ringing sound echoed, and Trucy jumped back. After about a minute, the large, shiny wooden door swung open to reveal a rather petite woman with light green hair and blue eyes. She wore a black maid's uniform with white ribbons and frills.

"Y-Yes?" she stuttered.

"Hi!" Trucy greeted loudly and cheerfully. The woman gave a small "Eep!" of surprise and jumped back, proceeding to shut the door. "Wait! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to scare you!" The woman opened the door widely enough for the group to see her face, but not much else.

"We're here on behalf of Miss Kay Faraday," Apollo told her. "The so-called Yatagarasu."

"The thief…" the woman whispered.

"I'm Miss Faraday's defense attorney," Apollo continued. "I was wondering if I could have a look around."

"A-Are you with that girl in the white coat?" the woman asked.

"White coat?" Pearl whispered.

"She must mean Ema," Trucy whispered to Apollo.

"Yes," Edgeworth answered. "Miss Skye requested that we join her in the investigation." _Since when does Mr. Edgeworth know Ema?_ Apollo thought.

"O-Oh," the woman stammered. "O-Ok. C-Come in." She opened the door widely enough for Apollo, Trucy, Pearl and Edgeworth to enter, then promptly shut it. "This way." She began walking deeper into the mansion and beckoned for them to follow.

* * *

><p><em>November 18, 12:22<em>

_Barrymore Mansion_

_Art Gallery_

"Wow…" Trucy gasped. "This place is huge enough to be a crime scene all on its own!" The room the group had entered was a large hall with various paintings hanging on the walls. Hanging from the ceiling was a glass chandelier and the floor was a plush red carpet. **MUNCH. MUNCH. MUNCH.** _There's only one person I know who can munch with such a vengeance._ "Ema!" Sure enough the brown-haired, lab coat clad detective stood in the middle of the room, munching on a bag of Snackoos.

"Ema Skye," Edgeworth drawled. "It's been awhile."

"Mr. Edgeworth?" she gasped. "What are you doing here?"

"Wait, you two know each other?" Apollo asked. "Since when?"

"Since my sister was his boss," Ema explained.

"Wait, so if you're here, does that mean Klavier—" Apollo began.

"No," Ema replied sharply.

"Ah," Edgeworth said, smirking a little. "Let me guess. He left a note reading something along the lines of, 'Prosecutor Klavier Gavin chooses death.'"

"No," Ema refuted. "Actually, it was more like, 'Prosecutor Klavier Gavin is taking a long vacation to settle his affairs. Achtung, baby!'"

"Wait, you don't mean _the_ Klavier Gavin, do you?" Pearl piped up. "The lead singer of the Gavinners?"

"Do you know any other Klavier Gavin?" Ema deadpanned. Edgeworth's eyebrows furrowed.

"Anyway," Apollo interjected. "Ema, this is Pearl Fey, an old friend of Mr. Wright's."

"Wait, you aren't related to Mia Fey, are you?" Ema asked.

"She's my cousin," Pearl answered quietly.

"Great!" Ema said.

"So what happened?" Trucy asked.

"Basically the owner of this mansion, Arthur Barrymore, reported a painting by Nicholas Dreinim stolen yesterday at around eight o'clock," Ema explained. "That calling card with the raven with the three legs was found where the painting was supposed to be. Personally, I think arresting someone on the basis of their calling card is pretty outrageous, but I didn't really have a say in the matter." Edgeworth smirked.

"I take it you don't like your new boss very much," he guessed.

"No!" Ema shrieked. "She keeps cutting my salary like it's sushi!"

"Well you _do_ keep munching on Snackoos while on duty…" Apollo mused.

"Shut up Apollo!" Ema yelled. "Either way, I do my job perfectly fine. There's no reason to be making barely minimum wage."

"I'd offer you Detective Gumshoe's position, but he doesn't want to quit, even though he has more than enough money to stop working altogether," Edgeworth said.

"You mean Gummy?" Trucy asked. "Daddy said that his salary's so low that he has to pay to work."

"And then the Blue Badger royalties came in," Edgeworth added. "He has everything he could ever want. A fully furnished condo, a loving wife and a beautiful baby daughter, and all the money he could ever need. But he still insists on coming to work."

"U-Um…" a new voice piped up.

"Oh!" Ema gasped as she saw the green-haired maid from before. "Hi Ellis! Everyone, this is Ellis Franklin, a maid working for Mr. Barrymore." She put her hands on the girl's shoulders.

"Why are you here?" Ellis whispered.

"Um…" Apollo began awkwardly. "We… We just…"

"We wanted to investigate the crime scene," Pearl said gently. "Don't worry. We don't mean you or Mr. Barrymore any harm."

"Y-You shouldn't be here…" Ellis said shakily.

"They're with me, ok?" Ema said. "They're helping me investigate." Ellis smiled.

"Ok, Miss Skye," she said happily. Ema smiled.

"Thanks Ellis," she said.

"Would you guys like something to drink?" Ellis asked. "Some coffee maybe? Or maybe cookies. I baked them fresh!"

"N-No thanks," Apollo replied. _That was weird_, he thought. _Why is she so happy when Ema's around? And why did she start questioning us after she let us in?_ Ellis smiled and left.

"Thanks Ellis!" Ema called. "She's really shy, you know. I don't know all the details, but apparently her father recently died."

"That's so sad…" Trucy mumbled.

"Ok, that's nice," Apollo snapped impatiently.

"Apollo!" Pearl cried out in alarm. Edgeworth, Trucy, and Ema glared at him. _Great. Now everyone hates me._

"What I _meant_ to say is that we should really start investigating before we get kicked out," Apollo amended.

"Good idea," Edgeworth agreed. Apollo, Trucy, and Pearl made their way over to a bare section of the wall, untouched by any other paintings.

"So this was where the stolen painting originally was," Apollo mused.

"That sounds about right," Pearl agreed.

"I still don't think it makes sense to arrest someone for sending a calling card," Trucy grumbled.

"Yeah, but like Ema said, we really don't have any say in the matter," Apollo retorted.

"Yeah you do!" Pearl refuted. "You're a defense attorney, Apollo. It's up to you to get her a 'not guilty' verdict." _I bet my job depends on this too_, Apollo thought miserably. _I'm so screwed._

"'Distant Traces of Beauty'," Ema said from behind them. "That was the painting that was reported stolen." _'Distant Traces of Beauty' added to Court Record._

"And Miss Faraday's calling card was found here?" Apollo asked.

"Yup," Ema replied dryly. She reached into her coat pocket and pulled out a small white card with a black three-legged raven on it. Edgeworth promptly snatched it.

"Yes, this is definitely Kay's card," he confirmed. _Yatagarasu Calling Card added to Court Record._ "Why don't we look for possible entrance and escape routes the thief could have used?"

"Sounds like a plan," Apollo said, nodding. The group made its way to the fireplace.

"Maybe our mystery thief jumped down the chimney like Santa!" Trucy suggested.

"Let's not go there…" Edgeworth mumbled.

"What's this?" Pearl asked as she bent down to pick up something from the residue left in the fireplace. "Is this… part of a frame?" Apollo took it from her and ran his fingers over the right angle the charred wood made.

"Looks like it," he whispered. _What is a frame doing here of all places? Was Arthur Barrymore trying to burn one of his paintings? Why?_ Trucy took the charred remains of the frame and stuffed them in her panties. _Wooden Frame Remains added to Court Record._

"What's behind that door?" Trucy asked, pointing to a large wooden door at the corner of the room closest to the empty space on the wall. Apollo walked over and tried to pull it open.

"It's locked," he said. "It won't open."_Locked Art Gallery Door added to Court Record._

"Now now, what have we here?" a new voice drawled. Pearl gasped and Trucy shrieked. Behind them stood a tall man with neatly-combed white hair and green eyes. There were wrinkles around his eyes and frown lines that put even Edgeworth's to shame. He wore a black tuxedo.

"Mr. Barrymore!" Ema cried. "I… I thought you said you were going out." His mouth curved into a smirk.

"Now now Miss Skye," he said. "Is it really so wrong for a victim to want to be near the crime scene? Now who are these? Are they friends of yours?"

"Um…" Ema mumbled. "Th-They're…"

"I'm Apollo Justice," Apollo introduced. "I'm Miss Faraday's defense attorney."

"Faraday…" Barrymore mused. Edgeworth raised his eyebrows.

"The one arrested for the theft of your painting," Edgeworth clarified. Realization dawned on Barrymore's face.

"Ah yes," he said. "The Yatagarasu. My boy, did you say you were _defending_ this creature?" Edgeworth glared at him.

"Kay is _not_ a creature," he practically snarled.

"I believe a three-legged raven is considered a creature," Barrymore drawled.

"But the one arrested was a _girl_," Apollo insisted. "An Interpol agent, at that."

"That hardly concerns me," Barrymore said fleetingly.

"Hardly concerns you?" Apollo repeated. "Your painting was stolen and you're pressing charges! I thought _you_ of all people would care about who you're accusing!"

"I only care for justice to be swiftly dealt to the Yatagarasu," Barrymore said. "Who or what it is does not concern me. Now I do not appreciate that tone of yours, Mr. Justice. I will have to ask you to leave."

"B-But…" Apollo protested.

"Ellis, please show Mr. Justice and his friends to the door," Barrymore continued. "Carry on with your investigation, Detective Skye."

"Yes sir," Ema mumbled.

"Th-This way…" Ellis said in a low whisper as she led Apollo, Trucy, Pearl, and Edgeworth out of the art gallery.

"Mr. Edgeworth!" Ema called. "Apollo, Trucy! I'll let you know what I find, ok?"

"Thanks Ema!" Trucy yelled. _Is this really how it's going to end? I know defense attorneys aren't supposed to investigate the crime scenes themselves, but this is ridiculous! Sigh… I just hope Mr. Wright is having better luck than we are right now…_

**To be continued…**

* * *

><p><em>Court Record:<em>

_Evidence_

_Attorney's Badge – No one would believe I was a defense attorney without this badge._

'_Distant Traces of Beauty' – A painting by the famed artist Nicholas Dreinim that was reported stolen by the art patron Arthur Barrymore. Depicts four butterflies flying through a meadow of pink flowers under a pitch black sky. One butterfly is caught on fire and two butterflies are covered in blood._

_Yatagarasu Calling Card – Found at the original location of Arthur Barrymore's stolen painting. Depicts a three-legged raven._

_Locked Art Gallery Door – A locked door in the art gallery in Barrymore's mansion near the original location of the stolen painting._

_Wooden Frame Remains – The charred remains of a wooden frame found in the fireplace at the art gallery at Barrymore's mansion._

_Profiles_

_Trucy Wright, 16 years old – My assistant and my boss's daughter. A magician who recently inherited the great Magnifi Gramarye's trade._

_Phoenix Wright, 34 years old – My boss, a defense attorney who lost his badge after being accused of fabricating evidence. He recently regained his defense attorney's badge, but he has to watch five of my trials before he can officially practice again._

_Maya Fey, 27 years old – Mr. Wright's old assistant and the master of the Kurain Channeling Technique. She's been dropping by the Wright Anything Agency a lot ever since Mr. Wright got back his badge. _

_Pearl Fey, 17 years old – Maya's younger cousin and an old client of mine. Usually hangs out with Trucy and me whenever she visits the Agency. Like Maya, can also channel the dead._

_Miles Edgeworth, 34 years old – Mr. Wright's old prosecutor rival. Requested that we defend his old friend._

_Iris Hawthorne, 33 years old – Mr. Wright's college sweetheart. Was sentenced to eight years in prison after tampering with a crime scene, but was recently released._

_Kay Faraday, 24 years old – An Interpol agent who calls herself the great thief Yatagarasu. One of my clients._

_Ron DeLite, 31 years old – A man formerly known as the legendary thief Masque*deMasque. My other client._

_Desirée DeLite, 31 years old – The pregnant wife of my client Ron DeLite._

_Ema Skye, 26 years old – An avid scientist turned detective who was formerly employed under prosecutor Klavier Gavin._

_Arthur Barrymore, 48 years old – A patron of the arts and one of the victims. Had the painting 'Distant Traces of Beauty' by Nicholas Dreinim stolen._

XX

**Whew! Writing out that Court Record sure took awhile… Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! PLEASE REVIEW!**


	7. Turnabout Composition: Part 2

**I'm not TERRIBLY fond of Lang, but I DO like his henchmen. The way they love him so much is freaking hilarious. Anyway, enjoy!**

_November 18, 12:21 PM_

_Ivy University_

_Tallow Hall_

"Here we are Iris," Phoenix said slowly. "Ivy U. Our alma mater." Iris giggled.

"Look at you, Feenie, getting all sentimental," Iris cooed. Maya scoffed.

"Get a room, will you?" she snarked.

"Hey, I don't know about you, but some of my best memories come from here," Phoenix retorted. "Some of my worst too." _Ivy U and I have a kind of love-hate relationship. Freshman year was pretty awesome because, well, it was _college_. Sophomore year was boring, but junior year was when things _really_ started changing. Basically, I met this girl name Dahlia Hawthorne at the courthouse, and she wrote me a love poem and gave me her bottle necklace. I had no idea at the time that she just wanted to pawn off her necklace (that happened to be evidence in a murder trial, mind you) to some random person, but I didn't really care. I mean, Dahlia was drop-dead _gorgeous_. It turned out that Dahlia didn't really care about me and sent her twin sister Iris to get the necklace back from me in her place. Things happened, and Feenie and Dollie just couldn't get away from each other. Then Dahlia came back (bear in mind that I had absolutely _no_ idea about the switch and thought that I was dating Dahlia the whole time) and tried to kill me by poisoning my cold medicine. When that didn't work, she killed the guy who she stole the poison from and tried to frame me. My defense attorney was Mia Fey, Maya's sister and my mentor. I wasn't a very… pleasant client, to say the least. But despite all the trouble I gave Mia, she still decided to take me on as her understudy. So, as you can see, I'm where I am today because of Ivy University, but because of Ivy U, I could be dead right now._

"Nicky boy," Desiree started, "you went here, right? What do you think about it? Is it a good university?"

"Wow, Mrs. DeLite," Maya scoffed. "Little Harry isn't even out of the womb yet and you're already thinking about college!" Desiree chuckled.

"Got to be prepared, right?" she asked.

"Phoenix, my boy…" a new, frail voice said. An old man appeared into view. His hair was grey, and wrinkles covered his face. He wore a dark green suit.

"Oh, Professor Roland!" Phoenix greeted. "Everyone, this is Professor Roland, my art professor here at Ivy U."

"I see you're a lawyer now, Phoenix," Roland said.

"Yes I am, Professor," Phoenix replied. Roland sighed heavily.

"So much potential…" Roland lamented. "You had so much potential. You could be as great an artist as Nicholas Dreinim himself. But you had to go and pursue law."

"Come now, Professor, I had to do what was right for me," Phoenix retorted.

"Yes, of course…" Roland said fleetingly. "And how nice to see you again, Miss Hawthorne."

"Hello, Professor," Iris greeted, bowing her head.

"Phoenix, my boy, are you here to investigate the crime scene?" Roland asked.

"Yeah we are," Maya answered.

"Then I'm afraid you must speak with that man over there." Roland gestured towards a man with sandy brown hair who wore a black and orange coat with a fluffy boa. A crowd of men stood in front of him.

"You there!" he yelled, pointing to one of the men. "Happy anniversary!"

"Th-Thank you, Shifu!" the man stammered.

"See how great Shifu is?" another man asked. "He goes through all this trouble to remember these things about us!" The man in the boa clasped his hands together.

"Lang Zi says: 'All men are brothers,'" he said. "'And all friends become family.'"

"Such a genius!" one of the men in the crowd cried.

"We love you, Shifu!" another man yelled. Phoenix walked up to him and raised his hand.

"Excuse me!" he called. "Shifu, is it? My name is Phoenix Wright, and I am Mr. Ron DeLite's defense attorney." The man frowned at him.

"The name's Shi-Long Lang," he corrected, "but you can call me Agent Lang."

"Nutjob," Maya muttered. Lang clasped his hands together.

"Lang Zi says…" he began. "'People judge people because people are people.'"

"That… didn't make any sense," Iris mumbled.

"Looks like this 'Lang Zi' is a nutjob too," Maya amended. Lang glared at her.

"Lang Zi says—" he began.

"Great," Phoenix drawled. "Another metaphor person."

"Shut up!" Lang snapped. Maya giggled.

"Sorry, but only Mr. Armando could pull off the whole metaphor thing," she apologized.

"I'm sorry, but I have to agree," Phoenix added, chuckling a little. Lang narrowed his eyes.

"Lang Zi says…" he muttered. "That's not funny!"

"U-Um…" Iris piped up. "Feenie, Maya, you _do_ realize that this could jeopardize our chances of getting permission to investigate the crime scene… don't you?" _Well that was smart of us._

"Ack!" Maya gasped. "I'm sorry Shifu!"

"Y-Yeah, sorry Shifu," Phoenix apologized. Lang smirked.

"Much better," he drawled. "So you want to investigate? Well I doubt you'll find anything that we haven't taken already."

"But we'll have a look-see just in case," Desiree told him. "Ok Langy-boy?"

"Fine by me," Lang agreed. The four of them strolled around the room. They made their way over to a part of the wall surrounded by caution tape.

"So this is probably where the stolen painting originally was," Phoenix mused.

"What painting was it?" Maya asked.

"'The Fragrance of Dark Coffee'," Roland piped up from behind them.

"Aah!" Maya shrieked. "Professor Roland! Don't sneak up on us like that!"

"Terribly sorry, my dear," he apologized promptly. "Now 'The Fragrance of Dark Coffee' was—"

"A painting of a white coffee mug with blood splattered over it against a black background," Phoenix finished. "I know." _'The Fragrance of Dark Coffee' added to Court Record._

"What's there to prove, Nicky-boy?" Desiree asked.

"What do you mean?" Phoenix asked.

"Ronnie and I already _have_ an alibi!" Desiree reminded him.

"You do?" Maya asked.

"'Course we do!" Desiree replied. "Ronnie and I both went to get our sonogram done that night. We can ask Dr. Hindey to testify that we were there when the painting was reported stolen."

"That… is a pretty solid alibi," Phoenix conceded. "It doesn't help Kay Faraday one bit, but it'll get Mr. DeLite off the hook."

"Great!" Desiree said, grinning.

"So are you done here?" Lang asked. "Lang Zi says: 'Nothing good comes to those who wait.'"

"Actually, we were just finishing up, Shifu," Maya told him. "Our client has a rock-solid alibi." Lang reached into his pocket and pulled out a green and yellow card.

"You should probably take this anyway, just in case," he advised. _Masque*deMasque Calling Card added to Court Record._

"Thanks Shifu!" Maya said.

"So…" Iris began. "I guess we're done here."

"I guess we are," Phoenix agreed. "Thanks for letting us investigate, Agent Lang."

"Lang Zi says…" he began slowly, "'Reject not those who seek the truth.'"

"Thank you so much, Agent Lang," Iris said sincerely.

"Thanks a bunch!" Desiree added. Suddenly, Phoenix's phone began ringing. He pressed a button on it and held it against his ear.

"This is Phoenix," he said. "Mm-hmm. Ok, we'll be right there." He pressed another button on his phone and stuffed the phone in his pocket. "That was Apollo. He wants us to meet him at Barrymore's mansion right away. It's an emergency."

"We better go then!" Maya announced.

"Y-Yeah…" Iris agreed.

"Well let's head on over there!" Desiree said.

* * *

><p><em>November 18, 1:11 PM<em>

_Barrymore Mansion_

_Front Porch_

Phoenix practically sprinted towards Apollo, Trucy, Pearl, and Edgeworth, who all sat down on the front porch. Ema stood in front of them, pacing back and forth. She had a phone pressed to her ears, and she was practically screaming into it. "Apollo!" Phoenix shouted. "What happened?"

"There's been a murder," Ema told him, covering the receiving end of her phone with her hand and frowning.

"Who died?" Phoenix asked.

"A man named Thomas Franklin," Edgeworth answered, "and the primary suspect is Kay."

"But I'm sure you found something to get her off the hook," Maya assured him.

"No we didn't," Apollo refuted. "Mr. Barrymore kicked us out a while ago."

"So you guys just waited here?" Phoenix asked.

"Of course not, Wright," Edgeworth retorted. "Do you take us for fools? Why would we just sit around and waste time when we have two cases on our hands?"

"We headed down to the local coffee shop to discuss our next plan of action," Pearl offered.

"Until Ema called us and told us that someone was murdered," Trucy added.

"Thomas Franklin…" Iris mumbled. "Who is he?"

"Mr. Barrymore's maid's father," Apollo answered.

"So why isn't this maid the primary suspect?" Maya asked.

"Because she's his daughter!" Trucy told her, putting her hands on her hips. "That, and she's perhaps the nicest person on the face of the _planet_."

"Understood," Ema said finally before pressing a button on her phone to end the call.

"Do you have an autopsy report?" Maya asked.

"When we just found out that the victim's body fifteen minutes ago?" Ema retorted. "No."

"Well then how did he die Ema?" Phoenix asked.

"Suffocation," Ema replied, "but there weren't any fingerprints on his neck."

"So that probably means the killer was wearing gloves," Pearl said.

"There _was_, however, a bruise on his chest," Ema continued. "That would mean he suffered a blow to his xiphoid process, which in turn leads to suffocation.

"I have no idea what you just said…" Trucy mumbled.

"I mean that the killer hit him right here," Ema said, gesturing towards her chest, "hard enough that the victim stopped breathing altogether. Either way, this means that _there was no murder weapon_."

"Ouch," Desiree said. Apollo sighed heavily.

"Great," he grumbled. "So not only is Miss Faraday on trial for grand larceny, but she's also a murder suspect. _Fantastic_."

"I-I'm sure we can still prove her innocent…" Pearl assured him. _This is just great_, Apollo thought. _If I thought I was going to die when Mr. Wright threatened to fire me for not getting Pearl off the hook, I don't even know. I'm going to die tomorrow when we have to defend Miss Faraday._

**_TO BE CONTINUED..._**

* * *

><p><em>Court Record:<em>

_Evidence_

_Attorney's Badge – No one would believe I was a defense attorney without this badge._

'_Distant Traces of Beauty' – A painting by the famed artist Nicholas Dreinim that was reported stolen by the art patron Arthur Barrymore. Depicts four butterflies flying through a meadow of pink flowers under a pitch black sky. One butterfly is caught on fire and two butterflies are covered in blood._

_Yatagarasu Calling Card – Found at the original location of Arthur Barrymore's stolen painting. Depicts a three-legged raven._

_Locked Art Gallery Door – A locked door in the art gallery in Barrymore's mansion near the original location of the stolen painting._

_Wooden Frame Remains – The charred remains of a wooden frame found in the fireplace at the art gallery at Barrymore's mansion._

'_The Fragrance of Dark Coffee' – A painting by the famed artist Nicholas Dreinim that was reported stolen by Professor Roland at Ivy University. Depicts a white coffee mug splattered with blood against a black background._

_Masque*deMasque Calling Card – Masque*deMasque's calling card. Usually appears when a valuable item is stolen._

_Profiles_

_Trucy Wright, 16 years old – My assistant and my boss's daughter. A magician who recently inherited the great Magnifi Gramarye's trade._

_Phoenix Wright, 34 years old – My boss, a defense attorney who lost his badge after being accused of fabricating evidence. He recently regained his defense attorney's badge, but he has to watch five of my trials before he can officially practice again._

_Maya Fey, 27 years old – Mr. Wright's old assistant and the master of the Kurain Channeling Technique. She's been dropping by the Wright Anything Agency a lot ever since Mr. Wright got back his badge. _

_Pearl Fey, 17 years old – Maya's younger cousin and an old client of mine. Usually hangs out with Trucy and me whenever she visits the Agency. Like Maya, can also channel the dead._

_Miles Edgeworth, 34 years old – Mr. Wright's old prosecutor rival. Requested that we defend his old friend._

_Iris Hawthorne, 33 years old – Mr. Wright's college sweetheart. Was sentenced to eight years in prison after tampering with a crime scene, but was recently released._

_Kay Faraday, 24 years old – An Interpol agent who calls herself the great thief Yatagarasu. One of my clients._

_Ron DeLite, 31 years old – A man formerly known as the legendary thief Masque*deMasque. My other client._

_Desirée DeLite, 31 years old – The pregnant wife of my client Ron DeLite._

_Ema Skye, 26 years old – An avid scientist turned detective who was formerly employed under prosecutor Klavier Gavin._

_Ellis Franklin, 18 years old – A maid working for Arthur Barrymore. Cripplingly shy._

_Arthur Barrymore, 48 years old – A patron of the arts and one of the victims. Had the painting 'Distant Traces of Beauty' by Nicholas Dreinim stolen._

_Professor Roland, 68 years old – Mr. Wright's old Sketching and Drawing professor. Reported the painting 'The Fragrance of Dark Coffee' stolen._

_Dr. Hindley, ? years old – Ron and Desiree DeLite's doctor. Allegedly did Desiree's sonogram._

_Thomas Franklin, ? years old – The victim and Ellis Franklin's father. Suffocated to death either by being strangled by someone wearing gloves or had his xiphoid process hit so hard that he stopped breathing altogether._

XX

**Yayyy for Phoenix Wright stuff always including murders... Again, first mystery story, so I hope everything fits in properly and flows nicely. PLEASE REVIEW!**


	8. Turnabout Composition: Part 3

**This is going to be a fairly short chapter because Ron DeLite's trial will be fairly short. Rock-solid alibi and all that fun stuff. And I keep forgetting to add things to the Court Record. Last time, I forgot to add Lang's profile to it. So let me know when I forget this kind of thing. Anyway, enjoy!**

XX

_November 19, 9:58 AM_

_District Court_

_Defendant Lobby No. 2_

"Apollo?" Phoenix called.

"I'm fine!" Apollo shouted promptly. Phoenix smirked.

"Been working on your Chords of Steel, haven't you?" he asked. Apollo cleared his throat.

"I got up at four this morning to work on them," Apollo announced proudly. Phoenix chuckled.

"Well careful not to overdo it," he advised. "You don't want to lose your voice before any big trials."

"R-Right…" Apollo mumbled. He coughed lightly.

"Oh boy," Phoenix drawled.

"I'm fine!" Apollo insisted. "My throat's just a little scratchy, that's all!" Phoenix raised his eyebrows concernedly.

"You know, if you don't feel up to lawyering today, I can take over at any time," Phoenix told him. "All you need to do is stand there with me at the defense's bench."

"I can handle one little trial," Apollo grumbled.

"Make that one little trial and one… not so little trial," Phoenix amended.

"I'll be fine," Apollo said again.

"POLLY!" Maya shouted as she, Trucy and Pearl entered the defendant lobby. "You better get Ronnie a 'not guilty' verdict, you hear?"

"Yes, yes, I will," Apollo said dismissively.

"We even got Dr. Hindley to testify for us," Desiree said.

"This should be a fairly quick and speedy trial then," Trucy said.

"Easy there, Trucy-doll," Phoenix warned. "We don't know who the prosecution is, so there's no guarantees."

"Aw…" Trucy mumbled, pouting.

"Um…"

"So worst case scenario, we get someone like Manfred von Karma," Phoenix said.

"Excuse me…"

"_Best_ case scenario, we get Winston Payne," he continued.

"PLEEEEAAAASE, DON'T IGNORE MEEEEEEE!" Ron screamed, his hair flying out from his head. Pearl giggled.

"Sorry, Mr. DeLite," she apologized.

"If you speak up, we'll be able to hear you," Maya advised.

"So what was it that you wanted to say?" Trucy asked.

"Um…" Ron mumbled. "It shouldn't matter who the prosecution is, right? Because Dessie and I have a rock-solid alibi because we both went to get her sonogram done and Dr. Hindley said he'd testify, and…" He trailed off, his eyes averting to the side. Phoenix looked down at his watch.

"We should go," he said.

"Knock 'em dead, Apollo!" Trucy cheered.

"Good luck, you two!" Pearl said.

"Seriously, get a 'not guilty' verdict, or you'll be spending some quality time with one _Dahlia Hawthorne_," Maya warned. _Great, that Hawthorne girl again_, Apollo thought. _Wait. Isn't Mr. Wright's girlfriend _Iris_ Hawthorne? Are she and this Dahlia person related somehow?_

"Apollo," Phoenix called. _I don't have time to worry about this right now. It's completely irrelevant to this case. Masque*deMasque, here comes Justice!_

* * *

><p><em>November 19, 10:00 AM<em>

_District Court_

_Courtroom No. 1_

The judge banged down his gavel. "Court is now in session for the trial of Mr. Ron DeLite," he announced. "Are the defense and prosecution ready?"

"The defense is ready, Your Honor," Apollo said.

"The prosecution has been ready for a while, Your Honor," said the nasally, screechy voice of Winston Payne from the prosecution's bench.

"Very well," the judge said. "Would the prosecution like to make its opening statement?"

"Yes, Your Honor," Winston said. He ran his hand through his silky black hair. "On the night of November 17, at around 8:00, a painting by Nicholas Dreinim, 'The Fragrance of Dark Coffee,' was reported stolen. The victim in this case is the Fine Arts department of Ivy University, who had hosted an art show that night in Tallow Hall."

"Tallow Hall?" the judge repeated.

"It's where they host all the art shows in Ivy U, Your Honor," Phoenix explained. "It's twenty-five dollars a ticket for university students and fifty dollars for the general public, but art majors get in for free."

"And how exactly do you know this, Mr. Wright?" the judge asked. Phoenix smirked slightly.

"Because I was an art major myself before I decided to pursue law," he said.

"I see…" the judge mused. "Very well, Mr. Payne. Carry on."

"Thank you, Your Honor," Winston said. "The calling card of Masque*deMasque was found where the painting was originally supposed to be. This leads the prosecution to believe that the culprit is none other than Masque*deMasque himself, known to the rest of the world as Ron DeLite."

"**OBJECTION!**" Apollo shouted, banging his fists down on the table. "The defendant didn't go anywhere _near_ Ivy University that night!"

"Then, pray tell, where was the defendant?" Winston sneered. Apollo crossed his arms and smirked triumphantly.

"He was with his wife in the office of Dr. Hindley," Apollo explained. "You see, the wife of the defendant, Desiree DeLite, is _pregnant_. They went to get their sonogram done that night."

"We even brought in Dr. Hindley himself," Phoenix added. "He can testify that Mr. Ron DeLite did indeed come into his office that night.

"Very well," the judge said. "The court requests that Dr. Hindley please take the stand." A man with dark hair, glasses, and circles under his small eyes stepped up to the witness stand. "Witness, please state your name and profession."

"Edgar Hindley," the doctor said. "Physician."

"Dr. Hindley, will you please testify about what you were doing the night the painting was reported stolen?" the judge asked.

"Yes, Your Honor," Hindley said.

* * *

><p><em><span>Witness Testimony: What Happened the Night of the Theft<span>_

_Mr. and Mrs. DeLite scheduled an appointment last week, and they came to my office two nights ago._

_Mrs. DeLite is pregnant, you see, and she wanted her sonogram done._

_Mr. DeLite was there with her, of course. _

_What kind of husband wouldn't be there for their wife's sonogram?_

* * *

><p>"No contradictions, right Apollo?" Phoenix asked.<p>

"I don't think so," Apollo replied. "My bracelet didn't tighten, so I know he wasn't lying."

"Let's hope the judge accepts this testimony as it is and ends the trial quickly," Phoenix said.

"But we still have to cross-examine him," Apollo pointed out.

"Then go right ahead, Apollo," Phoenix offered. "There's no harm in it, considering that he isn't lying."

* * *

><p><em><span>Cross Examination<span>_

_Mr. and Mrs. DeLite scheduled an appointment last week, and they came to my office two nights ago._

**HOLD IT!**

Apollo pressed his pointer finger to his forehead and frowned in concentration. "Around what time did Mr. and Mrs. DeLite arrive?" he asked.

"I would say…" Hindley began slowly. "Around seven forty-five in the evening.

"Will you please append this to your testimony, then?" Apollo asked.

"Of course," Hindley said.

* * *

><p><em>Mr. and Mrs. DeLite arrived at my office at around seven forty-five two nights ago.<em>

_Mrs. DeLite is pregnant, you see, and she wanted her sonogram done._

_Mr. DeLite was there with her, of course. _

_What kind of husband wouldn't be there for their wife's sonogram?_

* * *

><p>The judge closed his eyes contemplatively. "I see no reason to doubt the witness's testimony. Very well. With Dr. Hindley's testimony, it's clear that the defendant, Ron DeLite was nowhere near the scene of the crime that evening. I am ready to hand down my verdict. The court finds the defendant <strong>NOT GUILTY<strong>."

* * *

><p><em>November 19, 10:05 AM<em>

_District Court_

_Defendant Lobby No. 2_

"Very nice, Polly," Maya said as soon as she, Iris, Pearl and Trucy met up with Phoenix and Apollo. "You ended the trial in three minutes. That's von Karma status right there." Apollo scratched the back of his head and grinned sheepishly.

"Well, Mr. DeLite _did_ have a rock-solid alibi…" he pointed out.

"And it definitely helped that the witness was cooperative," Iris added.

"But all we did was prove Ron DeLite innocent," Apollo reminded him. "We still don't know who _really_ stole the painting and if it has any relation to Miss Faraday's case."

"So now all we have left is Kay Faraday's trial," Phoenix said.

"I don't think that one will go so well…" Trucy mumbled.

"Why?" Maya asked.

"Because Mr. Barrymore kicked us out before we could finish investigating," Pearl told her. "We didn't find anything that could help our client."

"To quote Mia and Mr. Armando, if your client is _really_ innocent, you'll find a way to prove her innocent," Phoenix said. "So don't worry Pearls."

"Do you guys want to go grab lunch before the next trial?" Trucy asked.

"Trucy-doll, it's not even eleven," Phoenix reminded her.

"Actually…" Apollo said. "Lunch sounds kind of nice." Phoenix chuckled.

"Ok, lunch it is," he said.

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

><p><em>Court Record:<em>

_Evidence_

_Attorney's Badge – No one would believe I was a defense attorney without this badge._

'_Distant Traces of Beauty' – A painting by the famed artist Nicholas Dreinim that was reported stolen by the art patron Arthur Barrymore. Depicts four butterflies flying through a meadow of pink flowers under a pitch black sky. One butterfly is caught on fire and two butterflies are covered in blood._

_Yatagarasu Calling Card – Found at the original location of Arthur Barrymore's stolen painting. Depicts a three-legged raven._

_Locked Art Gallery Door – A locked door in the art gallery in Barrymore's mansion near the original location of the stolen painting._

_Wooden Frame Remains – The charred remains of a wooden frame found in the fireplace at the art gallery at Barrymore's mansion._

'_The Fragrance of Dark Coffee' – A painting by the famed artist Nicholas Dreinim that was reported stolen by Professor Roland at Ivy University. Depicts a white coffee mug splattered with blood against a black background._

_Masque*deMasque Calling Card – Masque*deMasque's calling card. Usually appears when a valuable item is stolen._

_Profiles_

_Trucy Wright, 16 years old – My assistant and my boss's daughter. A magician who recently inherited the great Magnifi Gramarye's trade._

_Phoenix Wright, 34 years old – My boss, a defense attorney who lost his badge after being accused of fabricating evidence. He recently regained his defense attorney's badge, but he has to watch five of my trials before he can officially practice again._

_Maya Fey, 27 years old – Mr. Wright's old assistant and the master of the Kurain Channeling Technique. She's been dropping by the Wright Anything Agency a lot ever since Mr. Wright got back his badge. _

_Pearl Fey, 17 years old – Maya's younger cousin and an old client of mine. Usually hangs out with Trucy and me whenever she visits the Agency. Like Maya, can also channel the dead._

_Miles Edgeworth, 34 years old – Mr. Wright's old prosecutor rival. Requested that we defend his old friend._

_Iris Hawthorne, 33 years old – Mr. Wright's college sweetheart. Was sentenced to eight years in prison after tampering with a crime scene, but was recently released._

_Kay Faraday, 24 years old – An Interpol agent who calls herself the great thief Yatagarasu. One of my clients._

_Ron DeLite, 31 years old – A man formerly known as the legendary thief Masque*deMasque. My other client._

_Desirée DeLite, 31 years old – The pregnant wife of my client Ron DeLite._

_Ema Skye, 26 years old – An avid scientist turned detective who was formerly employed under prosecutor Klavier Gavin._

_Ellis Franklin, 18 years old – A maid working for Arthur Barrymore. Cripplingly shy._

_Arthur Barrymore, 48 years old – A patron of the arts and one of the victims. Had the painting 'Distant Traces of Beauty' by Nicholas Dreinim stolen._

_Professor Roland, 68 years old – Mr. Wright's old art professor. Reported the painting 'The Fragrance of Dark Coffee' stolen._

_Shi-Long Lang, 35 years old – An Interpol agent from the Republic of Zheng-Fa investigating the theft at Ivy University. Has a thing for wolf metaphors._

_Dr. Hindley, 43 years old – Ron and Desiree DeLite's doctor. Did Desiree's sonogram on the night 'The Fragrance of Dark Coffee' was stolen from Ivy University._

_Thomas Franklin, ? years old – The murder victim and Ellis Franklin's father. Suffocated to death either by being strangled by someone wearing gloves or by having his xiphoid process hit so hard that he stopped breathing altogether._

XX

**Yay for von Karma status trials! So if you were disappointed by such a quick and speedy trial, have no fear. Kay Farday's will be longer and more complicated, and Winston Payne will **_**not**_** be the prosecutor. PLEASE REVIEW!**


	9. Turnabout Composition: Part 4

_November 19, 3:00 PM_

_District Court_

_Courtroom No. 3_

The spectators in the courtroom chattered while Phoenix and Apollo stood at the defense's bench. The prosecution's bench was entirely empty, and Apollo was beginning to grow nervous. _Where's the prosecutor? … Who _is_ the prosecutor? What's taking them so long?_ The judge banged his gavel. "Court is now in session for the trial of Miss Kay Faraday," he announced. "Are the defense and prosecution ready?"

"The defense is fine!" Apollo shouted. He realized his mistake after an awkward silence. "I-I mean ready, Your Honor." The judge nodded.

"Very well," he said. "And the prosecution?" Silence from the empty prosecution's bench.

"The prosecution is absent, Your Honor," Phoenix pointed out.

"No she is not." A woman with long light-blue hair and blue-grey eyes hidden behind square-rimmed glasses stepped up to the prosecution's bench. "Forgive my tardiness, Your Honor. To answer your question, the prosecution is now ready." Phoenix smirked.

"You look a lot like someone I know," he said. The woman smirked back in return.

"Like Franziska, you mean?" she retorted. "Well I am Klarissa, the elder von Karma sister."

"Franziska has a sister?" Phoenix asked. "I never knew that." He smirked. "But still, the resemblance is uncanny."

"I don't believe we've ever met, Ms. von Karma," the judge said.

"That is perfectly understandable," Klarissa said. "I have been living in Germany up until now. You see, my sister was recently promoted to chief prosecutor. I just had to come see this country's legal system for myself." _Was she just trying to insult her sister?_ Apollo thought. _Franziska, or whatever her name was?_

"Very well," the judge said. "Would the prosecution like to give its opening statement?"

"Certainly, Your Honor," Klarissa said, nodding. "On the evening of November 17, a painting by the famed artist Nicholas Dreinim, 'Distant Traces of Beauty,' was stolen from art patron Arthur Barrymore. Yesterday, the body of Mr. Thomas Franklin was found near the crime scene. The cause of death was strangulation, suffered from a harsh blow to the xiphoid process, which explains the lack of a murder weapon. The suspect of both crimes is the girl sitting in the defendant's chair, Kay Faraday."

"I see…" the judge mused. "Would the prosecution like to call its first witness?"

"The prosecution would like to call the head detective on this case, Ema Skye," Klarissa said. Ema walked up to the witness stand and stood there with her hand resting gently on her hip. "Miss Skye, please testify as to what you witnessed." Franziska glared at Klarissa.

"Which crime?" she asked. Klarissa's mouth curved upwards into a smirk.

"The one you witnessed," she said. "You _did_ only witness one crime, correct? Unless you lied to me… Miss Skye, that would not do well for your salary."

"Excuse me?" Ema retorted. "Just who do you think you are?" Klarissa gave her a wry smile.

"Your boss who has full control over your salary, Miss Skye," she retorted. "Like I said before, your previous boss, Mr. Klavier Gavin, has spoiled you rotten. It is not customary for a detective to have a higher income than most prosecutors." Ema glowered at her.

"Ugh, _fine_," she said finally.

* * *

><p><em><span>Witness Testimony: Thomas Franklin's Murder<span>_

_I really didn't witness anything. I just found the body, that's all._

_There was a room next to the art gallery in Mr. Barrymore's mansion._

_The door leading there was locked, but Mr. Barrymore let me in._

_I saw Mr. Franklin just lying there. There wasn't any blood or anything, but he was definitely dead._

* * *

><p>"That was…" Apollo mumbled, "rather unhelpful."<p>

"We'll probably get more out of the cross-examination then," Phoenix said.

* * *

><p><em><span>Cross Examination<span>_

_I really didn't witness anything. I just found the body, that's all._

_There was a room next to the art gallery in Mr. Barrymore's mansion._

_The door leading there was locked, but Mr. Barrymore let me in._

**HOLD IT!**

"I remember seeing a locked door in that art gallery," Apollo said, "but I'm not sure if that was the one you're referring to."

"What did you see?" Ema asked. "Can you show me what exactly you saw?"

"**TAKE THAT!**" Apollo yelled. "This door here, you see. We tried opening it when we went to investigate, but Mr. Barrymore stopped us and kicked us out." Ema ran her fingers through her hair.

"That's odd…" she mused. "Do you think he was trying to hide something?"

"**OBJECTION!**" Klarissa shouted. "What Arthur Barrymore was or was not trying to hide does not matter. It is irrelevant to this case. All that matters is that a dead body was found beyond that door."

"**OBJECTION!**" Apollo yelled, slamming his fists down on the table. "It has everything to do with this case! How do you know Mr. Barrymore wasn't trying to hide the body itself?"

"**OBJECTION!**" Klarissa shot back. "Like I said, that has nothing to do with Miss Skye's testimony. Carry on, Ema Skye." Ema simply glared at her.

* * *

><p><em>I saw Mr. Franklin just lying there. There wasn't any blood or anything, but he was definitely dead.<em>

**HOLD IT!**

"Can you tell me how exactly he died?" Apollo asked.

"**OBJECTION!**" Klarissa shouted. "The court has already established that the victim suffocated to death due to a blow to the xiphoid process."

"I have an autopsy report now, Apollo," Ema told him. She handed it to Klarissa, who, in turn, handed it to the judge.

"Hmm…" the judge mused. "The court accepts this into evidence." _Franklin's Autopsy Report added to Court Record._

"You mean you failed to give him an autopsy report when you informed him of this yesterday, Miss Skye?" Klarissa asked. "This will not do well for you in your next salary review."

"Excuse me?" Ema shot back. "I told Apollo all I could yesterday. I stayed up all night working on that autopsy report so that it would be ready today!"

"Inefficiency on your part," Klarissa said.

"Shut up!" Ema yelled, slamming her hands down.

"**HOLD IT!**" Phoenix yelled. "Ms. von Karma, Ema, your petty squabbles are completely irrelevant to this case. Please keep any and/or all fighting _out_ of the courtroom."

"I will have to agree with Mr. Wright," the judge said.

"I also have a photo of the crime scene," Ema said as she handed Apollo a photograph. In the picture, Thomas Franklin lay crumpled up against a wall. His eyes were shut and his glasses were sliding down his nose. On the ground next to him was the silhouette of a frame, and Apollo could swear he saw something akin to steam in whatever was in that frame. _Crime Scene Photo added to Court Record._

"Very well," the judge said. "The court accepts this into evidence. If the defense has no more objections, Ms. von Karma may call her next witness."

"The prosecution would like to call Mr. Arthur Barrymore," Klarissa said. The old man from before stepped up to the witness stand. "Witness, please testify about the circumstances in which your painting was stolen and the circumstances in which you found the body."

"As you wish, madam," Barrymore said.

* * *

><p><em><span>Witness Testimony: The Yatagarasu's Heist<span>_

_On the night of September 17, I had called some guests home._

_We proceeded to the art gallery to peruse the paintings there._

_I happen to be a fan of Nicholas Dreinim, so it's no wonder his paintings were found in my gallery._

_And that's when I saw it. My most prized painting was gone, and in its place was that calling card._

_I called the police at around eight o'clock and reported the painting missing._

Apollo frowned. "I can't find any contradictions," he said.

"Then rip his testimony apart," Phoenix suggested. "Piece by piece. Just keep pressing him until he says something contradictory." He smirked. "That is, if he was _lying_."

"He was…" Apollo mused. _All I have to do is find out what he's lying about and expose it for what it is!_

* * *

><p><em><span>Cross-Examination<span>_

_On the night of September 17, I had called some guests home._

**HOLD IT!**

"Do you usually do this?" Apollo asked.

"Do what?" Barrymore retorted.

"Invite guests home," Apollo clarified, "or was this a special occasion?"

"No, I actually do this quite often," Barrymore said.

"**OBJECTION!**" Klarissa yelled. "Whether or not Mr. Barrymore frequently calls guests home is irrelevant to this case."

"Objection sustained," the judge said. "Mr. Barrymore, please continue with your testimony."

"As you wish, Your Honor," Barrymore said.

* * *

><p><em>We proceeded to the art gallery to peruse the paintings there.<em>

**HOLD IT!**

"When you invite guests over, do you make a habit out of going to your art gallery?" Apollo asked.

"Yes," Barrymore replied. "This is another common thing we like to do. But how, may I ask, is this relevant?"

"The prosecution will have to agree," Klarissa said, smirking and wagging her finger at Apollo. Apollo glared at her. _Damn you…_

* * *

><p><em>I happen to be a fan of Nicholas Dreinim, so it's no wonder his paintings were found in my gallery.<em>

**HOLD IT!**

"How many of his paintings would you say there were in your gallery?" Apollo asked, pressing his finger against his forehead.

"Oh, lots of his paintings," Barrymore replied. "I have 'The Great Revival,' 'Kurain Genealogy,' 'The Bitter Taste of Truth,' and, up until recently, 'Distant Traces of Beauty'."

"And only 'Distant Traces of Beauty' was stolen?" Apollo asked.

"Yes," Barrymore said.

"All the other paintings were still there?" Apollo continued.

"**OBJECTION!**" Klarissa interjected. "The defense is unnecessarily badgering the witness."

"Objection sustained," the judge said, nodding. "Mr. Barrymore, please continue with your testimony."

* * *

><p><em>And that's when I saw it. My most prized painting was gone, and in its place was that calling card.<em>

**HOLD IT!**

Apollo pressed his finger against his forehead. "This calling card…" he began hesitantly. "Did it say anything?"

"Yes it did," Barrymore confirmed. "It demanded a ransom for the stolen painting." Apollo smirked.

"Thank you, Mr. Barrymore," he said. "Can you please append this to your testimony?"

* * *

><p><em>It said, "I have taken your painting. Give me one million dollars if you want it back."<em>

**OBJECTION!**

Apollo crossed his arms and smirked triumphantly. "Mr. Barrymore, you call yourself a patron of the arts, right?" he asked.

"That is correct," Barrymore said, nodding.

"Well there's another position that's just been handed to you on a silver platter," Apollo said. He slammed his fists down on the table and leaned forward. "That of a _big fat liar_!" Barrymore flinched, and the spectators in the court broke into chatter. The judge banged his gavel futilely.

"Order!" he shouted. "Order! Order in the court! Mr. Justice, please explain yourself!"

"I received the calling card found in your art gallery from our dear detective, Miss Ema Skye," Apollo said. "And, except for the three-legged raven, this card is completely blank! Nowhere does it say anything even remotely close to a demand for ransom!"

"That slimeball of a detective must have erased it then," Barrymore said.

"**OBJECTION!**" Apollo shouted. "Ema would have been unable to do so. Besides, a small magnifying glass can show that nothing was written on this card to begin with!"

"Nggooooh!" Barrymore yelled, flinching. The spectators in the court broke into chatter, and the judge banged his gavel futilely.

"Order!" the judge yelled. "Order! Order! Order in the court!"

"**OBJECTION!**" Klarissa yelled. "Whether or not something was written on the calling card is irrelevant."

"**OBJECTION!**" Apollo shot back, slamming his fists down on the table. "Of course it's relevant! The witness just lied through his teeth! He's obviously hiding something!"

"Then prove it with the only thing that holds any water in this court," Klarissa said. She snapped her fingers and frowned. "Solid evidence!" _Great_, Apollo thought. _I just know he's hiding something… but I can't prove it. There has to be something I can do!_ "Well, Mr. Apollo Justice? Do you have something that can prove that Mr. Arthur Barrymore was hiding something in his testimony?"

"I…" Apollo began. "I… _don't_." Klarissa smirked.

"If the defense has nothing more to say, then I think we can now dismiss the witness," she said.

"**OBJECTION!**" Apollo yelled. "I wasn't finished. Your Honor, I wish to further cross-examine the witness."

"**OBJECTION!**" Klarissa refuted. "There is nothing more the witness can say that will change anything."

"**OBJECTION!**" Apollo shot back. "The witness just lied through his teeth!" He pointed his finger at her. "You have no right to end this cross-examination prematurely!" Klarissa glowered at him.

"Well then, Mr. Apollo Justice, do not waste this court's time," Klarissa said. "You may ask the witness one question and one question only. And if you ask a useless or irrelevant question…" She snapped her fingers. "Only the harshest of penalties will be bestowed upon you!" She crossed her arms and smirked. "So, Mr. Apollo Justice, what is it that you wish to ask the witness?" _This woman is unbelievable!_ Apollo ranted in her head. _It's like she knows he's guilty of something and she's trying to cover it up!_

"Typical von Karma," Phoenix said. "Cocky, arrogant, overconfident… I swear, it runs in the family. And it's just our rotten luck that we get the von Karma sister that's most like Manfred von Karma."

"You mean the other one isn't this bad?" Apollo asked.

"Oh, she's pretty bad," Phoenix retorted. "She has a tendency to whip people who annoy her. But at least she's upfront and honest about her hostility. Klarissa just hides behind veiled insults and does everything in her power to prevent the defense from making any of its points." Phoenix looked to Apollo. "So go on. Ask the witness your question. You've got one shot to get him to spill the beans on what he was really up to the night of the theft."

"Well Mr. Apollo Justice?" Klarissa prompted. "We haven't much time to wait." Apollo frowned.

"Mr. Barrymore, please testify about…" He paused, as if trying to come up with an answer. "Please testify about what you did after you reported your painting stolen."

"I don't see how this is relevant," Barrymore protested.

"Mr. Barrymore, I have to agree," Klarissa said, "but please humor Mr. Justice, just this once."

* * *

><p><em><span>Witness Testimony: What Happened after the Painting was Reported Missing<span>_

_After I called the police, I sent my guests home._

_They left, and I had Ellis clean the fireplace in the art gallery._

_After that, I went straight to bed. I assumed the police would take care of the theft, but obviously, I was disillusioned._

* * *

><p>"There's something off about his testimony," Apollo whispered to Phoenix.<p>

"I know," Phoenix said.

"He says that he had his maid clean up the fireplace, but when we went to look, the fireplace wasn't empty," Apollo said. _Now it's time for _that_ piece of evidence… the one I can't make any sense of. It's finally time to get some answers._

* * *

><p><em><span>Cross-Examination<span>_

_After I called the police, I sent my guests home._

_They left, and I had Ellis clean the fireplace in the art gallery._

**OBJECTION!**

Apollo slammed his fists down on the table. "You're lying!" he yelled.

"Oh?" Barrymore shot back. "I am? I don't recall—"

"Don't make excuses!" Apollo hissed. "You say you had your maid clean the fireplace, but I found something there yesterday." He pulled out the charred frame remnants and held it out to Barrymore. "I found this among the ashes in your fireplace yesterday." Barrymore smirked and clucked his tongue.

"And that is your proof that I lied?" he asked. "Mr. Justice, you have no way of knowing that I used that fireplace sometime later. And about that thing you found in there… Don't even bother trying to figure out what it is." Apollo felt his bracelet tighten suddenly, almost painfully. _My bracelet's reacting… He's lying. I just know he is._ Apollo slammed his fists down on the table.

"Mr. Barrymore, you're still lying!" Apollo yelled.

"**OBJECTION!**" Klarissa yelled. She snapped her fingers. "I said to you before, Mr. Justice, the only thing this court needs is solid evidence. If you lack that, then there is not much we can do."

"**OBJECTION!**" Apollo shot back. "I can't prove that he's lying… But I know someone who can." Klarissa raised her eyebrows.

"Who?" she asked. Apollo crossed his arms and smirked triumphantly.

"The maid Mr. Barrymore specifically asked to clean his fireplace," Apollo said, "and, coincidentally, the daughter of the victim: Miss Ellis Franklin."

"You wish to cross-examine the maid?" Klarissa asked. "I doubt she'd answer any of the questions you throw at her."

"Well, we won't know until we try, now won't we Ms. von Karma?" Apollo asked, smirking. Klarissa glared at him.

"Fine," Klarissa snarled. "Court will adjourn for a thirty-minute recess so that I can prepare the witness."

"W-Wait…" the judge protested feebly. "That's my—" Klarissa snapped her fingers.

"Recess," she demanded. "Now."

"Y-Yes, Ms. von Karma," the judge stammered, banging down his gavel.

* * *

><p><em>Court Record:<em>

_Evidence_

_Attorney's Badge – No one would believe I was a defense attorney without this badge._

'_Distant Traces of Beauty' – A painting by the famed artist Nicholas Dreinim that was reported stolen by the art patron Arthur Barrymore. Depicts four butterflies flying through a meadow of pink flowers under a pitch black sky. One butterfly is caught on fire and two butterflies are covered in blood._

_Yatagarasu Calling Card – Found at the original location of Arthur Barrymore's stolen painting. Depicts a three-legged raven._

_Locked Art Gallery Door – A locked door in the art gallery in Barrymore's mansion near the original location of the stolen painting._

_Wooden Frame Remains – The charred remains of a wooden frame found in the fireplace at the art gallery at Barrymore's mansion._

'_The Fragrance of Dark Coffee' – A painting by the famed artist Nicholas Dreinim that was reported stolen by Professor Roland at Ivy University. Depicts a white coffee mug splattered with blood against a black background._

_Masque*deMasque Calling Card – Masque*deMasque's calling card. Usually appears when a valuable item is stolen._

_Franklin's Autopsy Report – Cause of death: suffocation due to a blow to the xiphoid process. Estimated time of death: September 17, 7:45 PM. Suspect: Kay Faraday._

_Crime Scene Photo – Check for details._

_Profiles_

_Trucy Wright, 16 years old – My assistant and my boss's daughter. A magician who recently inherited the great Magnifi Gramarye's trade._

_Phoenix Wright, 34 years old – My boss, a defense attorney who lost his badge after being accused of fabricating evidence. He recently regained his defense attorney's badge, but he has to watch five of my trials before he can officially practice again._

_Maya Fey, 27 years old – Mr. Wright's old assistant and the master of the Kurain Channeling Technique. She's been dropping by the Wright Anything Agency a lot ever since Mr. Wright got back his badge. _

_Pearl Fey, 17 years old – Maya's younger cousin and an old client of mine. Usually hangs out with Trucy and me whenever she visits the Agency. Like Maya, can also channel the dead._

_Miles Edgeworth, 34 years old – Mr. Wright's old prosecutor rival. Requested that we defend his old friend._

_Iris Hawthorne, 33 years old – Mr. Wright's college sweetheart. Was sentenced to eight years in prison after tampering with a crime scene, but was recently released._

_Kay Faraday, 24 years old – An Interpol agent who calls herself the great thief Yatagarasu. One of my clients._

_Ron DeLite, 31 years old – A man formerly known as the legendary thief Masque*deMasque. My other client._

_Desirée DeLite, 31 years old – The pregnant wife of my client Ron DeLite._

_Ema Skye, 26 years old – An avid scientist turned detective who was formerly employed under prosecutor Klavier Gavin._

_Ellis Franklin, 18 years old – A maid working for Arthur Barrymore. Cripplingly shy._

_Arthur Barrymore, 48 years old – A patron of the arts and one of the victims. Had the painting 'Distant Traces of Beauty' by Nicholas Dreinim stolen._

_Professor Roland, 68 years old – Mr. Wright's old art professor. Reported the painting 'The Fragrance of Dark Coffee' stolen._

_Shi-Long Lang, 35 years old – An Interpol agent from the Republic of Zheng-Fa investigating the theft at Ivy University. Has a thing for wolf metaphors._

_Dr. Hindley, 43 years old – Ron and Desiree DeLite's doctor. Did Desiree's sonogram on the night 'The Fragrance of Dark Coffee' was stolen from Ivy University._

_Thomas Franklin, 43 years old – The murder victim and Ellis Franklin's father. Suffocated to death either by being strangled by someone wearing gloves or by having his xiphoid process hit so hard that he stopped breathing altogether._

_Klarissa von Karma, 41 years old – A prosecutor who recently moved here from Germany after her sister was promoted to chief prosecutor. _

XX

**Ohmygosh, that was so fun to write. I love writing court scenes. Now, in case you're wondering, Klarissa von Karma is and is not an OC. Let me offer an explanation. Canonically, Franziska has an older sibling. Recall a statement by Manfred von Karma during Case 4 of Ace Attorney: "So? My granddaughter has a dog named Phoenix. Well Mr. Wright? Does that make you my granddaughter's fiancé? She's only seven years old!" Now if that granddaughter belonged to Franziska, Franziska should have given birth to her when she was ten years old. Such an age is improbable, so it's only natural to assume that an older sibling was involved. Word of God states that Franziska has an older sister. While this cannot be proven in canon, as no older sibling is ever mentioned, it can be assumed that Franziska and her older sibling were never very close to begin with… That, or the older sibling was never relevant to the plot. So cue Klarissa, Franziska's older sister. She's a prosecutor, just like Franziska, only she practices in Germany. Again, because of the considerable age difference between her and Franziska and, by extension, her and Miles Edgeworth, Klarissa is in a whole different generation. Now I hope that explanation makes sense…**

**Is Klarissa getting on your nerves? Don't worry. She's supposed to. I tried to write her character to be as infuriating as possible. You can also see the Manfred von Karma influences as well.**

**PLEASE REVIEW!**


	10. Turnabout Composition: Part 5

_September 19, 4:02 PM_

_District Court_

_Defendant Lobby No. 1_

"Well," Phoenix said slowly as he stood with Apollo and Kay in the defendant's lobby. "I never thought I'd say this, but I miss Franziska and her whip."

"You aren't the first to say that," Edgeworth said as he entered with Maya, Pearl, Trucy and Iris. "It would be an understatement to say that Klarissa is not the easiest person to get along with."

"Edgeworth, you're friends with the von Karmas," Phoenix said. "Do you know her?"

"Not well," Edgeworth admitted. "She was always around the von Karma manor, but she never bothered to associate with me… nor I with her.

"Why do I feel like I'm still out of the loop?" Apollo asked rhetorically. Pearl pat his back sympathetically.

"Believe me, Apollo, I'm not sure what's going on either," she said.

"You said the other Miss von Karma likes whipping people, right Mr. Edgeworth?" Trucy asked. Edgeworth smirked.

"She used to," he said.

"_Used_ to?" Phoenix and Maya repeated simultaneously. "You mean she ditched the whip?" Maya continued.

"No, she still carries her whip around with her," Edgeworth said, "but she rarely uses it for anything outside of basic self defense."

"I don't _believe_ this woman!" Kay ranted. "What the hell is her problem?"

"I'd rather take twenty lashes from Franziska's whip than that kind of slander any day," Phoenix said flatly.

"She may not be the most pleasant of sorts," Edgeworth acknowledged, "but she has a good heart. She absolutely despises crime and will do anything to crush it."

"I wonder how poor Ellis is doing…" Iris mused. "Trucy told me she was a terribly shy young girl working as a maid in Mr. Barrymore's mansion. To think, her father just died, and now, on top of that, she has to testify about it…"

"The law waits for no one, Iris," Phoenix said. "It coddles none, and it pities none."

"Sometimes the law is completely unfair," Maya added, "but it's still the law. You have to obey it, even if you don't like it."

"I just hope she's ready to testify," Apollo said. "She's our last chance at finding out the truth behind this murder."

* * *

><p><em>September 19, 4:20 PM<em>

_District Court_

_Courtroom No. 3_

The judge banged his gavel. "Court is back in session for the trial of Miss Kay Faraday," he announced. "Before the recess, the defense summoned a new witness, Miss Ellis Franklin."

"Take the stand," Klarissa ordered flatly. The green-haired maid stepped up cautiously to the witness stand, her eyes averted to the floor. "Witness, please testify about your role in all of this."

"…" Ellis remained silent, still staring at the floor.

"Witness," Klarissa said sharply. She snapped her fingers. "The prosecution demands that you testify."

"…" Ellis looked up, tears glistening in her eyes.

"_Witness_," Klarissa urged.

"**OBJECTION!**" Apollo yelled as he banged his fists against the table. "Stop badgering the witness!

"As I recall, it was _you_ who summoned this witness, Mr. Apollo Justice," Klarissa spat. Apollo nodded.

"I did," he affirmed, "but that gives you no right to pressure her like this!"

"She is still a witness," Klarissa said simply. Apollo banged his fists against the table.

"The victim in this case was her father!" Apollo yelled. "She has every right to remain silent!"

"Easy there Apollo," Phoenix coaxed. "I know you want to help your witness, but you're not really helping your case. And you might want to quiet down a little. You don't need to shout for everything." Klarissa snapped her fingers.

"I highly suggest that you listen to Mr. Phoenix Wright, Mr. Apollo Justice," she said.

"Addressing people by their full name…" Phoenix mused. "I swear, it runs in the family."

"I…" Ellis piped up. "I… I didn't know…"

"Miss Franklin," Phoenix said, "you don't have to tell us anything if you don't want to." _What the hell happened to helping our case?_ Apollo thought. "However, if you refuse to testify, an innocent person will be charged with your father's murder. Do you want that to happen?" Tears began to roll down her cheeks.

"That woman…" Ellis whispered. "Miss Faraday… She didn't do it! I know she didn't!" Phoenix smiled gently.

"Only your testimony can prove that," he said. Ellis rubbed her eyes with her hands.

"I…" she mumbled. "I'll testify."

"Thank you, Miss Franklin," Phoenix said sincerely. "You have no idea how much you're helping us by doing as much."

* * *

><p><em><span>Witness Testimony: What Happened the Night of the Theft<span>_

_Mr. Barrymore was throwing a dinner party, and he told me that he wanted both the dining room and the art gallery spotless._

_But… there was something else he wanted me to do._

_He wanted me to stand guard at the art gallery._

_He didn't tell me what to look out for… only to keep out suspicious-looking people._

* * *

><p>"I feel bad for her," Apollo mumbled sadly.<p>

"Apollo, you haven't seen anything yet," Phoenix said. "Did I ever tell you about the time I had to choose between getting an innocent person a guilty verdict to free Maya from an evil assassin and losing the trial on purpose to get the real murderer, who happened to be my client, a guilty verdict while watching Maya die?"

"No, and I don't want to know," Apollo said flatly.

* * *

><p><em><span>Cross-Examination<span>_

_Mr. Barrymore was throwing a dinner party, and he told me that he wanted both the dining room and the art gallery spotless._

_But… there was something else he wanted me to do._

_He wanted me to stand guard at the art gallery._

_He didn't tell me what to look out for… only to keep out suspicious-looking people._

**HOLD IT!**

Apollo pressed his finger to his forehead and frowned. "Suspicious-looking people?" he repeated.

"Yes," Ellis said.

"Did he say—" Apollo began.

"**OBJECTION!**" Klarissa cut him off, snapping her fingers. "The witness just established that her master did _not_ mention who or what to look out for."

"U-Um…" Ellis mumbled. "Actually… Mr. Barrymore _did_ mention something about a Yama… Yaga…" She frowned as she fumbled with the word.

"Yatagarasu, you mean?" Phoenix asked, raising one eyebrow. Ellis smiled and nodded.

"Yes, that was it," she said. _Why would Mr. Barrymore want to look out for the Yatagarasu?_ Apollo thought. _Hmm… the Yatagarasu steals the truth… Maybe the Yatagarasu, or in this case, Kay Faraday, had something on him and he was afraid of it getting out… Yes, that _has_ to be it! Kay must have sent him the calling card before as a warning… but what was it that she knew that he so desperately wanted to keep a secret?_

"Are you starting to get an idea of the true nature of this case Apollo?" Phoenix asked.

"Yeah, I think I have a pretty good idea of what's going on," Apollo answered. "Kay Faraday had something on Mr. Barrymore, so she sent him her calling card as a warning. Afraid of what was going to happen if whatever truth she was trying to uncover got loose, he made Ellis keep an eye out for her."

"Very good, Apollo," Phoenix complimented, "but unfortunately, all of that is just speculation. Baseless conjecture, if you will. To put it in Ms. von Karma's words, the only thing this court needs is solid evidence."

"But Mr. Barrymore probably faked the theft to frame Kay!" Apollo insisted. "He kept her calling card, hid the painting, and left the calling card where the painting once was to make it look like she stole it."

"The prosecution would like to know what the defense is mumbling about," Klarissa said impatiently. Apollo pointed his finger at her.

"The defense would like to accuse Mr. Arthur Barrymore of the theft of the painting 'Distant Traces of Beauty'!" Apollo yelled.

"Apollo, _no_!" Phoenix hissed. "You're getting ahead of yourself!"

"That… is a very serious accusation, Mr. Justice!" the judge said.

"An accusation that makes no sense whatsoever," Klarissa clarified. "Tell me, Mr. Apollo Justice, why would Mr. Arthur Barrymore choose to steal a painting from _himself_?" Apollo slammed his fists down on the table.

"He didn't _steal_ the painting," he said. "He _hid_ it! The Yatagarasu had something on him, so he positioned his maid Ellis Franklin to keep an eye out for her. That would explain how he got the calling card in the first place. Then he hid the painting and left the Yatagarasu's calling card there to make it look like she stole it!"

"**OBJECTION!**" Klarissa yelled. "What you are insinuating is baseless conjecture."

"She's right, you know," Phoenix muttered.

"Shut up!" Apollo snapped. Klarissa snapped her fingers.

"Then show me, Mr. Apollo Justice," she said. "Show me proof that all that you have said is true!"

"I…" Apollo mumbled. "I…" There was silence in the courtroom._ It's no use! I don't have anything! I know what I'm saying is right… I just can't prove it!_

"My apologies, Your Honor," Phoenix apologized. "There are too many holes in your argument, Apollo. First of all, there's no proof that Kay Faraday sent Barrymore her calling card prior to the theft. After all, the card's completely blank; you proved that yourself. Second, there's no proof that Kay Faraday didn't set foot on Barrymore's mansion the night he reported the painting stolen. And no, her testimony does _not_ count. Likewise, there's no way to prove that she _did_ set foot on his mansion. Third, you completely left out the murder in all of this. Who killed Thomas Franklin? You never answered that."

"The prosecution concurs," Klarissa said, smirking.

"Perhaps we should adjourn for now," the judge suggested.

"**OBJECTION!**" Apollo yelled. "The defense requests more testimony from the witness!"

"M-Me?" Ellis asked. _I know what I'm saying is right. And I'm going to prove it right now!_

"Miss Franklin, please testify about…" He paused, pressing his finger to his forehead. "Please testify about what you did after the painting was reported missing."

"I'm sorry…" Ellis apologized. "I guess my last testimony wasn't very helpful…"

"Any information you can give us would be beneficial, Miss Franklin," Phoenix said sincerely. "Apollo, I hope you know where you're going with this."

* * *

><p><em><span>Witness Testimony: What Happened After the Guests Went Home<span>_

_Mr. Barrymore called the police right away and reported his painting stolen._

_He was so upset… First Mr. Nicholas Dreinim didn't show up and then the Yatagarasu appeared…_

_He told me to clean the fireplace and leave, so I did._

* * *

><p>Phoenix frowned. "That testimony was horribly vague," he said.<p>

"Just have to keep bluffing until she spills the beans, right?" Apollo asked.

"Yeah, but be careful," Phoenix advised. "Don't pressure her too much. Her father just died, after all."

* * *

><p><em><span>Cross-Examination<span>_

_Mr. Barrymore called the police right away and reported his painting stolen._

_He was so upset… First Mr. Nicholas Dreinim didn't show up and then the Yatagarasu appeared…_

**HOLD IT!**

"What do you mean by, 'Nicholas Dreinim didn't show up'?" Apollo asked.

"Oh!" Ellis gasped. "D-Did I forget to mention this? Mr. Barrymore invited Nicholas Dreinim to view his gallery that night."

"And he never showed up?" Apollo asked.

"No…" Ellis mumbled. "He didn't. He sent a note saying very nicely that he couldn't come, but Mr. Barrymore didn't see it until the morning after."

"Is Mr. Barrymore…" Apollo began, "on friendly relations with Nicholas Dreinim?" Ellis shook her head.

"Not that I know of," she said.

"**OBJECTION!**" Klarissa yelled. "I do not see how this is relevant to this case, Mr. Apollo Justice."

"Don't you think it's just a little bit odd that Nicholas Dreinim was invited to the very art gallery from which his own painting was stolen, Ms. von Karma?" Apollo asked.

"But what does it have to do with the murder or the theft?" Klarissa asked.

"I don't know…" Apollo answered honestly. "But I'm sure it has some relation to this case!"

"Well, until you can establish a relation, we will have to continue with the testimony, Mr. Apollo Justice." _Damn it! Why is it so hard to prove a single point?_

* * *

><p><em>He told me to clean the fireplace and leave, so I did.<em>

**HOLD IT!**

"Did Mr. Barrymore use the fireplace after you cleaned it?" Apollo asked.

"Finally back to your initial point, I see," Phoenix murmured.

"I don't know…" Ellis mumbled. "Mr. Barrymore forbid me from going into the art gallery after the painting was stolen." Apollo crossed his arms and smirked triumphantly.

"So you didn't set foot in the art gallery after the painting was stolen?" Apollo asked.

"N-No, I didn't…" Ellis mumbled.

"Miss Franklin, does Mr. Barrymore have any other maids such as yourself?" Apollo asked.

"**OBJECTION!**" Klarissa yelled. She snapped her fingers. "Whether or not Arthur Barrymore has multiple servants is completely irrelevant." Apollo shook his head.

"Just answer the question, Miss Franklin," he said.

"No, I'm the only one," Ellis said. Apollo smirked.

"The defense rests, Your Honor," he said confidently.

"Whatever do you mean, Mr. Justice?" the judge asked.

"The defense summoned the witness in the first place to…" he trailed off when he saw Klarissa wagging her finger at him. Phoenix's face was completely devoid of emotion, and Apollo realized his mistake. "Oh no… no… NOOOOOOO!"

"Mr. Justice, what is the meaning of this?" the judge asked.

"Let me explain, Your Honor," Klarissa said. "Mr. Apollo Justice summoned Miss Ellis Franklin as a witness to prove that Mr. Arthur Barrymore lied in his testimony. However, he proved just the opposite." She snapped her fingers. "_Arthur Barrymore was telling the complete and total truth!_"

"**OBJECTION!**" Everyone looked around cautiously.

"Who… Who said that?" the judge stuttered.

"I did!" Kay Faraday stood at the witness stand, crossing her arms over her chest and glaring. "I won't keep my silence anymore, Mr. Barrymore!"

"Wh-What nonsense are you spouting?" Klarissa stammered.

"It's time for the Yatagarasu to do what it's known best for: to reveal the truth!" Kay announced.

"You _will_ hold your tongue, Kay Faraday," Klarissa snarled. Kay shook her head stubbornly.

"No, I will not!" she refuted. "Arthur Barrymore, a patron of the arts? Don't make me laugh!"

"What is the meaning of this?" Phoenix asked calmly.

"He's a forger!" Kay yelled. "He buys paintings by Nicholas Dreinim and copies them, and then he sells them for more than the original's worth!" Phoenix hung his head so that his face was covered in shadow.

"He _what_?" he asked in a deadly low whisper.

"Apollo, let me see that burned frame you presented earlier," Kay said. Apollo uncertainly handed it to her. "I don't know how many of you know this, but all of Nicholas Dreinim's paintings come in a specific frame. It's completely impossible to separate the frame and the painting itself. Likewise, all the frames have a common feature: they bear the signature and the initials of the title of the painting in the bottom right-hand corner! See this Apollo? That's his signature right there, and below that, it says 'DTB'. 'DTB,' as in Distant Traces of Beauty! You were right, Apollo. von Karma, you can search both my apartment _and_ Barrymore's mansion. Hell, you can search the entire world. You won't find the missing painting because Barrymore burned it!" _Wooden Frame Remains updated._ The spectators in the court broke into chatter, and the judge banged is gavel futilely.

"Order!" he shouted. "Order! Order! Order! Order in the court!" But it was no use. The spectators never quieted down.

_The court went into such an uproar, that the court had to adjourn. The spectators kept talking and talking, and they refused to quiet down, even on the judge's orders. Miss Faraday tried to fight off the bailiffs that were trying to restrain her, and Mr. Edgeworth and this other man in a fur boa came down to get her to cooperate. The witness, Ellis Franklin, fainted, and Maya and Trucy went to her side to try and wake her. Meanwhile, Pearl and Iris came over to the defense's bench. Iris held Mr. Wright's hand, whispering to him that everything was going to be ok while he just glared at Mr. Barrymore. The whole time, Klarissa von Karma was glaring at me._

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

><p><em>Court Record:<em>

_Evidence_

_Attorney's Badge – No one would believe I was a defense attorney without this badge._

'_Distant Traces of Beauty' – A painting by the famed artist Nicholas Dreinim that was reported stolen by the art patron Arthur Barrymore. Depicts four butterflies flying through a meadow of pink flowers under a pitch black sky. One butterfly is caught on fire and two butterflies are covered in blood._

_Yatagarasu Calling Card – Found at the original location of Arthur Barrymore's stolen painting. Depicts a three-legged raven._

_Locked Art Gallery Door – A locked door in the art gallery in Barrymore's mansion near the original location of the stolen painting._

_Wooden Frame Remains – The charred remains of a wooden frame found in the fireplace at the art gallery at Barrymore's mansion. Contains Nicholas Dreinim's signature and the initials of 'Distant Traces of Beauty'._

'_The Fragrance of Dark Coffee' – A painting by the famed artist Nicholas Dreinim that was reported stolen by Professor Roland at Ivy University. Depicts a white coffee mug splattered with blood against a black background._

_Masque*deMasque Calling Card – Masque*deMasque's calling card. Usually appears when a valuable item is stolen._

_Franklin's Autopsy Report – Cause of death: suffocation due to a blow to the xiphoid process. Estimated time of death: September 17, 7:45 PM. Suspect: Kay Faraday._

_Crime Scene Photo – Check for details._

_Profiles_

_Trucy Wright, 16 years old – My assistant and my boss's daughter. A magician who recently inherited the great Magnifi Gramarye's trade._

_Phoenix Wright, 34 years old – My boss, a defense attorney who lost his badge after being accused of fabricating evidence. He recently regained his defense attorney's badge, but he has to watch five of my trials before he can officially practice again._

_Maya Fey, 27 years old – Mr. Wright's old assistant and the master of the Kurain Channeling Technique. She's been dropping by the Wright Anything Agency a lot ever since Mr. Wright got back his badge. _

_Pearl Fey, 17 years old – Maya's younger cousin and an old client of mine. Usually hangs out with Trucy and me whenever she visits the Agency. Like Maya, can also channel the dead._

_Miles Edgeworth, 34 years old – Mr. Wright's old prosecutor rival. Requested that we defend his old friend._

_Iris Hawthorne, 33 years old – Mr. Wright's college sweetheart. Was sentenced to eight years in prison after tampering with a crime scene, but was recently released._

_Kay Faraday, 24 years old – An Interpol agent who calls herself the great thief Yatagarasu. One of my clients._

_Ron DeLite, 31 years old – A man formerly known as the legendary thief Masque*deMasque. My other client._

_Desirée DeLite, 31 years old – The pregnant wife of my client Ron DeLite._

_Ema Skye, 26 years old – An avid scientist turned detective who was formerly employed under prosecutor Klavier Gavin._

_Ellis Franklin, 18 years old – A maid working for Arthur Barrymore. Cripplingly shy._

_Arthur Barrymore, 48 years old – A patron of the arts and one of the victims. Had the painting 'Distant Traces of Beauty' by Nicholas Dreinim stolen._

_Professor Roland, 68 years old – Mr. Wright's old art professor. Reported the painting 'The Fragrance of Dark Coffee' stolen._

_Shi-Long Lang, 35 years old – An Interpol agent from the Republic of Zheng-Fa investigating the theft at Ivy University. Has a thing for wolf metaphors._

_Dr. Hindley, 43 years old – Ron and Desiree DeLite's doctor. Did Desiree's sonogram on the night 'The Fragrance of Dark Coffee' was stolen from Ivy University._

_Thomas Franklin, 43 years old – The murder victim and Ellis Franklin's father. Suffocated to death either by being strangled by someone wearing gloves or by having his xiphoid process hit so hard that he stopped breathing altogether._

_Klarissa von Karma, 41 years old – A prosecutor who recently moved here from Germany after her sister was promoted to chief prosecutor. _

XX

**I really loved writing this chapter… Hell, I love writing all courtroom chapters. I hope you enjoyed this too. PLEASE REVIEW!**


	11. Turnabout Composition: Part 6

_November 19, 6:00 PM_

_Wright Anything Agency_

"That was the most disastrous trial in the history of disastrous trials," Maya said flatly.

"I'm losing my touch," Apollo murmured to himself. "How could I be so stupid? I ended up proving the _opposite_ of what I was trying to prove the entire time!"

"It's ok, Polly," Trucy said consolingly. "It was a mistake. Everyone makes mistakes!"

"Yeah, but if he makes a mistake, then Miss Faraday has to pay for it," Pearl retorted. Apollo coughed for what seemed like the umpteenth time that day. "Are you ok, Apollo?"

"I'm fine," he insisted. "My throat's just a little scratchy."

"Don't get sick on us, Polly!" Maya warned.

"Yeah, well even if I do, I'm not backing out of this trial," Apollo replied in a slightly hoarse voice. Iris smiled at Phoenix.

"That sounds a lot like someone I know," she said.

"That _bastard_," Phoenix practically growled, ignoring Iris.

"Nick—" Maya warned.

"How _dare_ he?" Phoenix whispered. "Taking those paintings and copying them… even worse, selling them for _more_ than the originals' worth… It's unforgivable."

"_Wright_," Edgeworth said sharply. _Mr. Wright has every reason to be angry_, Apollo thought. _Eight years ago, he was accused of forging evidence and lost his attorney's badge for it. There really was no way he could have done it; his client, Trucy's real father, Zak Gramarye, changed attorneys the night before the trial. There was no way he could have forged evidence in time for the trial… but the board didn't see it that way. He was never well-liked, and all the attorneys on the board were quick to stand against him… except for one, my old boss Kristoph Gavin. It turns out that Mr. Gavin was Mr. Gramarye's old attorney who was fired after losing to him in a game of poker. Angry at being pushed aside, he destroyed Mr. Wright's career by forging evidence and giving it to him to use in court. I guess it's understandable that he's angry at forgeries of any kind nowadays._ Phoenix sighed.

"Sorry," he apologized. "So what happened to Kay?"

"The bailiffs took her back to the detention center," Edgeworth said quietly. "There are more guards positioned around her for security purposes, after what happened in court today."

"Well we owe today to her," Phoenix said. "If she hadn't interrupted the trial, we would have lost."

"It's not like she would have just stood there with her mouth hanging open while her own defense failed epically in defending her," Maya grumbled. Apollo winced, and Trucy hugged his arm.

"What are we going to do?" Pearl whispered. Phoenix exhaled sharply.

"First, we need to get back on track," he announced. "We need to go down to the detention center and make sure that what Kay said today was the complete and total truth."

"Doing so would also prove that what Mr. Justice was trying to prove today was true," Edgeworth added, smirking. "He's a lot like you, Wright."

"Reminiscing aside," Iris said, "we also need to investigate the crime scene."

"Of the murder, not of the theft," Trucy clarified. Suddenly, the phone rang and Apollo went to answer it.

"Wright Anything Agency where we're always Wright on your side," Apollo recited dully. "This is Apollo Justice speaking. How may I help you?"

"M-Mr. Justice?" a voice stammered on the other line.

"V-Vera?" Apollo gasped.

"Hi Mr. Justice…" she greeted meekly. "I… I heard about the trial today. If you want to prove that Mr. Barrymore is a forger, then I can help. I… I was one, after all…"

"Thanks Vera," Apollo said sincerely. "That would be great."

"Would you like me to come over to your office, or…" She trailed off, and Apollo chuckled.

"It's ok," he assured her. "I'll drop by your studio in a bit."

"Ok," Vera said. "Bye, Mr. Justice."

"Bye," Apollo replied before hanging up the phone. "Ok, change of plans," he said to the rest of the group. "I'm going to head down to Vera's studio. She said she'll help us with the forgeries."

"I'll come with you," Trucy volunteered.

"Vera who?" Maya whispered to Phoenix.

"Old client," he said fleetingly.

"So come on!" Trucy urged. "Let's go! We've got a case to crack!"

* * *

><p><em>November 19, 6:18 PM<em>

_Drew Studio_

"Hi Vera!" Trucy greeted cheerfully.

"Hello…" the blue-haired artist greeted quietly. _Vera Misham, my last murder client before I defended Pearl. She was unwittingly caught up in that whole conspiracy involving Mr. Gavin and Mr. Wright, and nearly paid for it with her life. Like she said before, she used to be a forger herself, but of course, she didn't even know that it was illegal because she spent all her time cooped up in her father's studio. She's really shy, but she's getting better._ "I-I heard that someone accused Mr. Barrymore of being a forger."

"Yeah," Apollo confirmed, "and she was telling the truth." Vera's eyes averted to the side as she began to chew nervously on her fingernails.

"Vera!" Trucy scolded. "Stop doing that! You almost died because you wouldn't stop biting your nails!" _Ridiculous, I know. The scary part is that it's completely true._ Vera's eyes widened as she slowly removed her hand from her mouth.

"I don't know how much I can do to help…" she admitted sadly, "but I _can_ help you identify forgeries."

"That would be great," Apollo said.

"First things first," Vera explained, striding over to two nearly identical paintings. "Here are two paintings. One of them is the painting 'Warehouse Tiger' by Nicholas Dreinim and the other is a copy I made. Can you tell me which one is real and which one is fake?" Apollo stared at both paintings. They both depicted a vicious orange tiger bending down to bite a green dragon against a vivid orange background. He frowned in concentration as he continued to stare at them. _I don't know which one's real and which one's fake… but I can see a difference between them._

"I don't know," Apollo answered, "but I _can_ tell that the signature in the painting on the left is slightly higher than the signature in the painting on the right." Vera smiled brightly.

"Correct," she said. "I noticed something with all of Nicholas Dreinim's paintings. In every painting, he signs his name exactly three inches from the bottom and three inches from the right." Trucy scoffed.

"You're looking too hard, Apollo," she said. "Remember what Miss Faraday said in court today? All of Nicholas Dreinim's paintings come in these special frames where he signs the bottom right corner of the frame and puts the initials of the title of the painting." Sure enough, the painting on the right was encased in a frame with Nicholas Dreinim's signature and the initials "WT".

"I see…" he said quietly.

"Can you see any other differences?" Vera asked, prompting Apollo to take another close look at the two paintings in front of him.

"The dragon," he said after carefully scrutinizing it. "The shade of the dragon in the painting on the right doesn't quite match the shade of the dragon in the painting on the left." Vera nodded.

"That's right," she affirmed.

"But do I really have to look this closely to spot the differences?" Apollo asked, turning to Vera. She stared blankly at him.

"Mr. Justice, forgers strive to make their copies as close to the originals as possible," she said. "Whatever differences there are will be very subtle and not easily noticed by those that just give them a passing glance." Trucy crossed her arms.

"I guess that makes sense…" she said. "So what do we do now, Apollo?" Apollo exhaled sharply.

"I say we head down to Barrymore's mansion," he said. "We need to look at those paintings in his art gallery more closely if we want to find out the truth."

* * *

><p><em>November 19, 6:11 PM<em>

_Detention Center_

Kay stood behind the glass window, glaring ahead at whoever seemed to be passing by. Her expression softened when she saw Edgeworth and Phoenix approach her cell. "Mr. Edgeworth!" she gasped before hanging her head glumly. "I… I'm sorry for what happened in court today. I… I just lost it. I couldn't…"

"Don't be, Kay," Phoenix said. "We would have lost the trial if it weren't for you."

"Not the most comforting words for your own client, Wright," Edgeworth warned.

"But it's true!" Maya refuted.

"So was what Apollo said in court today true, Miss Faraday?" Iris asked shyly. Kay simply shook her head.

"I think it'll be easier if I just tell you what I know," she said. "Yes, Arthur Barrymore is a forger. He buys as many paintings by Nicholas Dreinim as he can and copies them. Then he sells those copies all around the world for more than the original's worth… but I already said that in court today."

"So you really did give him the calling card beforehand," Phoenix mused. Kay nodded.

"Yes I did," she confirmed. "I got a lead on him about a month ago. I just thought it was too weird that so many of Nicholas Dreinim's paintings were circulating around the world. Yes, a lot of people buy Nicholas Dreinim's paintings, but Barrymore by far has the most. Even worse, he sells those paintings too, and there were too many of the same paintings going out. So I set my sights on him and went at it. I sent him my calling card last week to warn him to come clean or risk having me tell the media myself."

"So Polly was right," Maya said. "He said that Kay had something on Mr. Barrymore and she sent him her calling card, and that he kept the calling card and used it to frame her for the 'theft' of his painting."

"But that doesn't explain the murder at all," Pearl lamented. "All this time, we've been looking at the theft, but we never investigated the murder. You would _think_ the two incidents are related, but they're not."

"We don't know that for sure, Pearls," Phoenix told her.

"So we know what really happened to that painting," Maya said. "Mr. Barrymore burned it, right?" Phoenix winced. "So when we go to investigate today, we have to put all our effort into investigating the murder."

"Just what was Mr. Franklin's relation to Mr. Barrymore besides being the father of the maid?" Edgeworth asked rhetorically.

"Why would anyone want to murder him?" Iris asked sadly.

"We don't even know who he is," Phoenix told them. "We can't say anything for sure yet."

"So all we can do is investigate," Edgeworth asserted. Phoenix sighed heavily.

"Looks like it," he said.

* * *

><p><em>November 19, 6:39 PM<em>

_Barrymore Mansion_

_Front Porch_

"Trucy!" Phoenix shouted, waving his arm as he ran up to her and Apollo. "How did it go with Vera?"

"Great!" Trucy replied cheerfully. "She taught us how to tell the difference between the real paintings and the fake ones."

"That will definitely come in handy in this investigation," Edgeworth pointed out.

"So come on!" Maya yelled. "We have investigating to do!"

* * *

><p><em>November 19, 6:41 PM<em>

_Barrymore Mansion_

_Art Gallery_

The blank space on the wall and the caution tape were gone. On the wall was a painting nearly identical to the one burned. "The _nerve_ of that bastard!" Phoenix cursed. "He replaced it with a fake!"

"Calm down Feenie…" Iris said consolingly. _He might as well just scream to the world, 'I'm a forger'._

"Hey!" Maya called. "Look, over there! It's Shifu!"

"Shifu?" Edgeworth repeated, raising his eyebrow. He looked over at the man in the feather boa Maya was pointing to and smirked. "Oh. Him."

"Friend of yours?" Phoenix asked.

"You could say that," Edgeworth replied. Shi-Long Lang strode over to the group.

"Mr. Prosecutor," he greeted, grinning. "Long time no see. Lang Zi says: greet your fellow wolf with the utmost respect."

"Hello to you too, Agent Lang," Edgeworth greeted pleasantly. "I see you've met Wright."

"Oh yes," Lang said. "He and his _lovely_ assistants were a pleasure to meet." His voice was dripping with sarcasm as he glared at Phoenix and Maya.

"Great to see you again, Agent Lang," Phoenix said, avoiding the sarcasm.

"Hi Shifu!" Maya yelled.

"I didn't know you were investigating this crime," Edgeworth commented.

"I was investigating the theft of the painting in Ivy University, actually," Lang corrected, "but I decided to investigate this theft as well. You see, I believe these two cases are connected."

"I agree, Mr. Shifu," Trucy said. "It can't just be a coincidence that two paintings in two different locations by the same artist were reported missing at the same time."

"I agree," Edgeworth said.

"So are you saying the same thief stole both paintings?" Iris asked.

"That, or an accomplice stole one of the paintings," Phoenix said.

"U-Um…" a new voice piped up. Ellis stood behind the group, her hands clasped together and her eyes averted to the floor. "I-If you need more testimony from me, I-I'm sure I can help…"

"Yeah, that would be great!" Trucy said, grinning.

"So what did we learn today?" Apollo asked.

"That Mr. Barrymore buys paintings by Nicholas Dreinim, copies them, and sells them for more than the original's worth," Pearl answered.

"And Kay sent her calling card to him because she got a lead on him, and he tried to get her off his back by hiding his painting and framing her for the theft," Maya added.

"But that doesn't explain the murder at all," Edgeworth finished, sighing heavily. Suddenly… _MUNCH. MUNCH. MUNCH._

"Ema!" Trucy yelled cheerfully as the detective continued to munch on Snackoos. She looked to the group's directions and smirked lightly.

"Nice to see you guys again," she greeted pleasantly. "I have to say Apollo, your own client bailed you out of a tight spot." Apollo hung his head. _Yes, I screwed up. Can we _please_ drop it now?_

"What is the status on the investigation?" Edgeworth asked.

"Well I highly doubt Kay did it," Ema answered honestly. "I mean… it's pretty clear that she wasn't here at all on the night Mr. Franklin died. We're trying to pull up background information on him, but we can't find anything. I mean, you type Thomas Franklin on a search engine and you get either Thomas Jefferson or Benjamin Franklin. It's ridiculous!" Someone_ was a bit patriotic when it came to naming their child…_

"What about the forgeries?" Phoenix asked quickly. "Or the burning of that painting?" Ema smirked and crossed her arms.

"You guys won't believe this," she said. "Arthur Barrymore has an _accomplice_."

"An accomplice?" Iris repeated.

"Yeah," Ema replied. "Someone named Joseph King. Apparently, he sold all the paintings Mr. Barrymore copied."

"Do you think we could meet him?" Apollo asked. Ema sighed and shook her head.

"I'm afraid not," she replied. "You see, Joseph King is a _pseudonym_. Joseph King isn't his real name at all, and we have no idea who he really is."

"Then let's ask Mr. Barrymore!" Trucy suggested.

"Like he's ever going to tell us," Apollo muttered sarcastically.

"What do we do now?" Iris whispered.

"It's your case, Apollo," Phoenix said, sighing. "You decide." Apollo exhaled sharply.

"I…" he began slowly. "I want to investigate the crime scene. I haven't seen it yet." Ema smirked.

"Well, as head detective of this case, I gladly offer you my permission to investigate the crime scene," she said. "Just don't touch anything."

"Thanks Ema!" Trucy said cheerfully.

* * *

><p><em>Court Record:<em>

_Evidence_

_Attorney's Badge – No one would believe I was a defense attorney without this badge._

'_Distant Traces of Beauty' – A painting by the famed artist Nicholas Dreinim that was reported stolen by the art patron Arthur Barrymore. Depicts four butterflies flying through a meadow of pink flowers under a pitch black sky. One butterfly is caught on fire and two butterflies are covered in blood._

_Yatagarasu Calling Card – Found at the original location of Arthur Barrymore's stolen painting. Depicts a three-legged raven._

_Locked Art Gallery Door – A locked door in the art gallery in Barrymore's mansion near the original location of the stolen painting._

_Wooden Frame Remains – The charred remains of a wooden frame found in the fireplace at the art gallery at Barrymore's mansion. Contains Nicholas Dreinim's signature and the initials of 'Distant Traces of Beauty'._

'_The Fragrance of Dark Coffee' – A painting by the famed artist Nicholas Dreinim that was reported stolen by Professor Roland at Ivy University. Depicts a white coffee mug splattered with blood against a black background._

_Masque*deMasque Calling Card – Masque*deMasque's calling card. Usually appears when a valuable item is stolen._

_Franklin's Autopsy Report – Cause of death: suffocation due to a blow to the xiphoid process. Estimated time of death: September 17, 7:45 PM. Suspect: Kay Faraday._

_Crime Scene Photo – Check for details._

_Profiles_

_Trucy Wright, 16 years old – My assistant and my boss's daughter. A magician who recently inherited the great Magnifi Gramarye's trade._

_Phoenix Wright, 34 years old – My boss, a defense attorney who lost his badge after being accused of fabricating evidence. He recently regained his defense attorney's badge, but he has to watch five of my trials before he can officially practice again._

_Maya Fey, 27 years old – Mr. Wright's old assistant and the master of the Kurain Channeling Technique. She's been dropping by the Wright Anything Agency a lot ever since Mr. Wright got back his badge. _

_Pearl Fey, 17 years old – Maya's younger cousin and an old client of mine. Usually hangs out with Trucy and me whenever she visits the Agency. Like Maya, can also channel the dead._

_Miles Edgeworth, 34 years old – Mr. Wright's old prosecutor rival. Requested that we defend his old friend._

_Iris Hawthorne, 33 years old – Mr. Wright's college sweetheart. Was sentenced to eight years in prison after tampering with a crime scene, but was recently released._

_Kay Faraday, 24 years old – An Interpol agent who calls herself the great thief Yatagarasu. One of my clients._

_Ron DeLite, 31 years old – A man formerly known as the legendary thief Masque*deMasque. My other client._

_Desirée DeLite, 31 years old – The pregnant wife of my client Ron DeLite._

_Ema Skye, 26 years old – An avid scientist turned detective who was formerly employed under prosecutor Klavier Gavin._

_Ellis Franklin, 18 years old – A maid working for Arthur Barrymore. Cripplingly shy._

_Arthur Barrymore, 48 years old – A patron of the arts and one of the victims. Had the painting 'Distant Traces of Beauty' by Nicholas Dreinim stolen._

_Professor Roland, 68 years old – Mr. Wright's old art professor. Reported the painting 'The Fragrance of Dark Coffee' stolen._

_Shi-Long Lang, 35 years old – An Interpol agent from the Republic of Zheng-Fa investigating the theft at Ivy University. Has a thing for wolf metaphors._

_Dr. Hindley, 43 years old – Ron and Desiree DeLite's doctor. Did Desiree's sonogram on the night 'The Fragrance of Dark Coffee' was stolen from Ivy University._

_Thomas Franklin, 43 years old – The murder victim and Ellis Franklin's father. Suffocated to death either by being strangled by someone wearing gloves or by having his xiphoid process hit so hard that he stopped breathing altogether._

_Klarissa von Karma, 41 years old – A prosecutor who recently moved here from Germany after her sister was promoted to chief prosecutor. _

_Joseph King, ? years old – Arthur Barrymore's accomplice. Nobody knows who he is or what he looks like. 'Joseph King' is only a pseudonym, but no one knows what his real name is._

XX

**Writing investigation scenes are so boring. Nothing happens… Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! PLEASE REVIEW!**


	12. Turnabout Composition: Part 7

**I have an annoying tendency to forget to add things to the Court Record. Please forgive me, readers. Anyway, enjoy!**

XX

_November 19, 6:54 PM_

_Barrymore Mansion_

_Crime Scene_

The room was dark, lit only by a few dim lights. Ema pulled out a flashlight and tossed it to Apollo, who promptly turned it on. Against the wall was white tape supposedly shaped like the victim's body. And on the floor was… Iris gasped and clasped both hands over her mouth. "Th-That's…" Trucy stammered.

"'The Fragrance of Dark Coffee,'" Phoenix finished, his eyes narrowed. "The painting Ron deLite was accused of stealing." The painting lay on the ground; Apollo could clearly see the blood-stained coffee mug.

"But what's it doing here?" Maya asked, covering her hand with one mouth.

"M-Maybe Mr. Barrymore stole this painting," Pearl guessed.

"I doubt it," Apollo refuted. "Ellis said he was here preparing for his dinner party. He has an alibi."

"But that is no guarantee that his accomplice didn't steal it," Edgeworth said.

"True," Apollo conceded.

"We can't say that for sure," Phoenix said. "We don't even know who the accomplice is. 'Joseph King' is a pseudonym, after all."

"Um…" Apollo jumped as he whirled around. Ellis was standing there behind him, staring at the floor meekly.

"What is it?" he asked.

"I was wondering if you knew where Mr. Barrymore was," Ellis said. "I haven't seen him since the trial, and before, my father wanted me to give something to him." She pulled out a folded sheet of paper.

"The victim?" Pearl whispered. Ema smiled.

"We'll make sure he gets this, Ellis," she said, taking the paper. Ellis gave a faint smile.

"O-Ok," she said, bowing her head. "Thank you." And with that, Ellis left.

"Can I see that Ema?" Apollo asked.

"You're going to read it, aren't you?" she guessed. "Well I'm not going to stop you. It's not like she said it was confidential or anything." She handed Apollo the note haphazardly, and he opened it. Apollo began to read it out loud. _Franklin's Note added to Court Record._

"'Arthur,'" he recited, "'I no longer wish to be in your service. I am afraid Nicholas Dreinim himself has realized my identity, and I can only imagine his fury. As such, I am resigning. However, I have served you for longer than you deemed necessary. I demand that you release Ellis immediately.'" And then, signed at the bottom, was the signature of Thomas Franklin.

"Now I'm even more confused," Trucy complained.

"His identity?" Maya asked. "What does that even mean?" Realization dawned on Phoenix's face.

"It means…" he began slowly, "… that Thomas Franklin is Joseph King. I never knew…" He shook his head.

"Wait a minute," Apollo said. "This letter has brought up a new possibility. Nicholas Dreinim is now a suspect in this murder."

"_What_?" Maya yelled. "That's crazy!"

"Think about it!" Apollo shot back. "Nicholas Dreinim must be absolutely furious that someone forged his paintings, and it says in the note that he knew that 'Joseph King' was really Thomas Franklin. That takes care of the motive!"

"I agree," Pearl said, nodding. Edgeworth shook his head.

"Inconceivable," he said. "Nobody has ever seen Nicholas Dreinim, so nobody knows what he looks like. Furthermore, Ellis Franklin testified today that Nicholas Dreinim, in fact, did _not_ come to Arthur Barrymore's dinner party." Apollo felt his bracelet tighten around his wrist. _What?_ he thought. _He's lying. But… why? Does _he _know Nicholas Dreinim? Is he trying to cover for him?_

"Apollo…" Trucy mumbled uncertainly.

"I know," he whispered back hurriedly. "Keep quiet about it until we find out more."

"What was that?" Phoenix asked.

"N-Nothing, Daddy!" Trucy insisted. Phoenix hung his head so that Apollo couldn't see his face.

"No," he said. "I know what you're thinking. You think Edgeworth's hiding something, don't you? Well let me ask you this: what relevance does Nicholas Dreinim's identity have to this case?"

"It has everything to do with this case!" Apollo yelled. "Two of his paintings were stolen, and a so-called patron of the arts turned out to be a forger of _his_ paintings!" His voice cracked and he coughed. Phoenix grinned goofily at him.

"Easy there, Apollo," he said. "You don't want to lose your voice before the trial."

"Cut the crap!" Apollo yelled. "You know something!" Phoenix hung his head again.

"Yes I do," he said. "I know that Nicholas Dreinim was, in fact, here on the evening of the murder." This threw Apollo, Pearl and Trucy for a loop.

"What?" Apollo whispered quietly for once.

"He _was_?" Trucy asked incredulously.

"Then that makes him a potential suspect!" Pearl announced.

"It does, doesn't it?" Phoenix asked, more to himself than to Pearl. "You should look into becoming a lawyer, Pearls. You'd do well at it."

"Feenie…" Iris mumbled.

"Wait a minute!" Ema interrupted. "What about Ellis? I don't think she had a clue that her father worked with Arthur Barrymore in forging those paintings!"

"She probably didn't," Edgeworth conceded, "which removes any and all doubt of her innocence. You have nothing to fear. No one in their right mind would accuse her of murdering her own father."

"So what are you going to do, Apollo?" Phoenix asked.

"I'm going to take on Nicholas Dreinim himself," Apollo announced. "Tomorrow, in court." Phoenix hung his head.

"I'm not sure that would be the best idea," he advised.

"Maybe not," Apollo conceded, "but if I don't do this, then that slimeball will hide in the shadows forever. Maybe he _did_ murder Thomas Franklin. My point is that the world will never know if I don't face him in court." Edgeworth smirked.

"You show promise as a lawyer," he said. "I look forward to tomorrow's trial." _Well I don't. I don't even know who Nicholas Dreinim is. I know I have to face him in court tomorrow; I just don't know _how_._

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

><p><em>Court Record:<em>

_Evidence_

_Attorney's Badge – No one would believe I was a defense attorney without this badge._

'_Distant Traces of Beauty' – A painting by the famed artist Nicholas Dreinim that was reported stolen by the art patron Arthur Barrymore. Depicts four butterflies flying through a meadow of pink flowers under a pitch black sky. One butterfly is caught on fire and two butterflies are covered in blood._

_Yatagarasu Calling Card – Found at the original location of Arthur Barrymore's stolen painting. Depicts a three-legged raven._

_Locked Art Gallery Door – A locked door in the art gallery in Barrymore's mansion near the original location of the stolen painting._

_Wooden Frame Remains – The charred remains of a wooden frame found in the fireplace at the art gallery at Barrymore's mansion. Contains Nicholas Dreinim's signature and the initials of 'Distant Traces of Beauty'._

'_The Fragrance of Dark Coffee' – A painting by the famed artist Nicholas Dreinim that was reported stolen by Professor Roland at Ivy University. Depicts a white coffee mug splattered with blood against a black background._

_Masque*deMasque Calling Card – Masque*deMasque's calling card. Usually appears when a valuable item is stolen._

_Franklin's Autopsy Report – Cause of death: suffocation due to a blow to the xiphoid process. Estimated time of death: September 17, 7:45 PM. Suspect: Kay Faraday._

_Crime Scene Photo – He's slumped against the wall in a dimly-lit room, and there's something on the floor next to him. Check for details._

'_Warehouse Tiger' – Another painting by Nicholas Dreinim. Depicts a tiger biting a green dragon against a bright orange background. Contains Nicholas Dreinim's signature in the bottom right-hand corner. Has the initials 'WT' on the frame._

'_Warehouse Tiger' Copy – A copy of Nicholas Dreinim's 'Warehouse Tiger' painted by Vera Misham. Nicholas Dreinim's signature is slightly higher than the one in the original. The shade of the dragon doesn't quite match that of the original, and the frame does not have the initials of the title of the work._

_Franklin's Note – A note Thomas Franklin asked his daughter Ellis to deliver to Arthur Barrymore before he died. Check for details._

_Profiles_

_Trucy Wright, 16 years old – My assistant and my boss's daughter. A magician who recently inherited the great Magnifi Gramarye's trade._

_Phoenix Wright, 34 years old – My boss, a defense attorney who lost his badge after being accused of fabricating evidence. He recently regained his defense attorney's badge, but he has to watch five of my trials before he can officially practice again._

_Maya Fey, 27 years old – Mr. Wright's old assistant and the master of the Kurain Channeling Technique. She's been dropping by the Wright Anything Agency a lot ever since Mr. Wright got back his badge. _

_Pearl Fey, 17 years old – Maya's younger cousin and an old client of mine. Usually hangs out with Trucy and me whenever she visits the Agency. Like Maya, can also channel the dead._

_Miles Edgeworth, 34 years old – Mr. Wright's old prosecutor rival. Requested that we defend his old friend._

_Iris Hawthorne, 33 years old – Mr. Wright's college sweetheart. Was sentenced to eight years in prison after tampering with a crime scene, but was recently released._

_Kay Faraday, 24 years old – An Interpol agent who calls herself the great thief Yatagarasu. One of my clients._

_Ron DeLite, 31 years old – A man formerly known as the legendary thief Masque*deMasque. My other client._

_Desirée DeLite, 31 years old – The pregnant wife of my client Ron DeLite._

_Ema Skye, 26 years old – An avid scientist turned detective who was formerly employed under prosecutor Klavier Gavin._

_Ellis Franklin, 18 years old – A maid working for Arthur Barrymore. Cripplingly shy._

_Arthur Barrymore, 48 years old – A patron of the arts and one of the victims. Had the painting 'Distant Traces of Beauty' by Nicholas Dreinim stolen. Is actually a forger who sells copies of Nicholas Dreinim's paintings for more than the originals' worth._

_Professor Roland, 68 years old – Mr. Wright's old art professor. Reported the painting 'The Fragrance of Dark Coffee' stolen._

_Shi-Long Lang, 35 years old – An Interpol agent from the Republic of Zheng-Fa investigating the theft at Ivy University. Has a thing for wolf metaphors._

_Dr. Hindley, 43 years old – Ron and Desiree DeLite's doctor. Did Desiree's sonogram on the night 'The Fragrance of Dark Coffee' was stolen from Ivy University._

_Thomas Franklin, 43 years old – The murder victim and Ellis Franklin's father. Suffocated to death either by being strangled by someone wearing gloves or by having his xiphoid process hit so hard that he stopped breathing altogether._

_Klarissa von Karma, 41 years old – A prosecutor who recently moved here from Germany after her sister was promoted to chief prosecutor. _

_Vera Misham, 20 years old – A painter and one of my previous clients. Has a knack for copying things precisely and unknowingly used to be a forger._

_Joseph King, 43 years old – Arthur Barrymore's accomplice. Nobody knows who he is or what he looks like. 'Joseph King' is only a pseudonym, and his real name is Thomas Franklin, the name of the victim in this case._

_Nicholas Dreinim, ? years old – A famous painter who had two of his works reported stolen. A mysterious, shifty person who avoids any and all unwanted attention. He was at Barrymore's mansion the day of the murder, according to Mr. Wright, which makes him a potential suspect._

XX

**Dun dun DUN! It appears that Phoenix and Edgeworth know more than they're letting on. And now the painter himself is a potential suspect! What will happen next? … Read to find out! PLEASE REVIEW!**


	13. Turnabout Composition: Part 8

XX

_November 20, 2:54 PM_

_District Court_

_Defendant Lobby No. 1_

"Hi Apollo…" Pearl stared nervously at Apollo, fidgeting with her fingers.

"…" Apollo remained uncharacteristically silent. Pearl forced a smile.

"So, are you ready?" she asked in what she hoped sounded like a cheerful tone. "You're finally going to face Nicholas Dreinim today."

"…" Pearl's eyes averted to the floor.

"Please say something…" she mumbled quietly. Trucy, who was standing near Apollo, sighed exasperatedly.

"He _can't_," she said. Pearl's eyes widened and she brought her hand up to her mouth.

"Wh-What?" she whispered. "Why not?" Trucy frowned and placed her hands on her hips.

"He stayed up all night waiting for Ema to give him permission to use that note the victim wrote and working on his chords of steel," she complained. "And then he blew out his vocal cords and now he can't talk. At all."

"B-But what about the trial?" Pearl asked. "Who's going to defend Miss Faraday?"

"I am." Phoenix entered the defendant lobby with the defendant, smiling gently.

"Mr. Nick…" Pearl mumbled.

"Don't worry," Phoenix assured her. "I know I haven't practiced in awhile, but I've seen enough of Apollo's trials to get back into the full swing of things."

"Is that even allowed, Daddy?" Trucy asked. "I thought you said that you couldn't practice again until you watched five of Apollo's trials." Phoenix gave her a goofy grin.

"Well as long as Apollo's up there with me, there's no problem," he said. Apollo, who had a notebook tucked under his arm, pulled out a pen and flipped open the notebook. He scribbled something on it and held it out for everyone to see. _But you're going to do exactly as I say._ Phoenix chuckled.

"Whatever you say, Apollo," he said good-naturedly. Apollo flipped the page and scribbled out a smiley face.

"Hey, isn't that Vera's sketchbook?" Trucy asked. Apollo gave a small smile and nodded.

"So whenever you need to object to something, just write it down there, Apollo," Phoenix reminded him. Apollo nodded and flipped two pages. On the page he showed to the group were bright red letters reading: "OBJECTION!" Phoenix chuckled. "Yeah, like that." Pearl glanced over at the clock on the wall.

"I think it's time to go," she said. "Good luck, Apollo!"

* * *

><p><em>November 20, 3:00 PM<em>

_District Court_

_Courtroom No. 3_

The spectators in the courtroom chattered until the judge banged down his gavel. "Court is now in session for the trial of Miss Kay Faraday," he announced. "Yesterday, the defendant herself brought about an interesting possibility – that Mr. Barrymore, one of the victims in this case, was a forger of Nicholas Dreinim's works. Do the defense and prosecution have anything to say on this matter?" Klarissa's face was completely devoid of emotion.

"The prosecution has confirmed this to be true, Your Honor," she said stiffly. She snapped her fingers. "To verify this fact, the prosecution would like to call the head detective on this case, Miss Ema Skye, to the witness stand." Within minutes, Ema stood in front of the court with her hand resting on her hip. "Miss Skye, please testify to the court about your findings yesterday." Ema's eyebrows furrowed, and it looked like she was trying hard to suppress a biting comment or a sarcastic retort.

"Fine," she snapped.

* * *

><p><em><span>Witness Testimony: Arthur Barrymore's Forgeries<span>_

_It's true. Arthur Barrymore _is_ a forger._

_It's pretty obvious, considering there was a copy of 'Distant Traces of Beauty' hanging where the original was before._

_But there's more to it than that. You see, Arthur Barrymore had an _accomplice_._

_And that accomplice happened to be Mr. Thomas Franklin, the victim in this case._

_Furthermore, Nicholas Dreinim did, in fact, attend Mr. Barrymore's dinner party._

_And, according to a letter the victim wrote to Mr. Barrymore, Nicholas Dreinim knew his identity._

_So you see, that makes Nicholas Dreinim a potential suspect in this case._

* * *

><p>"What is this note you were referring to?" the judge asked.<p>

"The victim apparently gave a note to his daughter, Ellis Franklin, to deliver to Mr. Barrymore," Ema said. "Give it to him, Apollo." Apollo nodded wordlessly and handed the judge the sheet of paper.

"Hmm…" he mumbled. "I see. Very well. The court accepts this into evidence."

"Thank you, Your Honor," Phoenix sighed.

"Mr. Justice!" the judge said. "You have been uncharacteristically quiet today." Phoenix smirked.

"That can't be helped, Your Honor," he said. "You see, he lost his voice. I will be doing all the talking during this trial."

"Well then, Mr. Wright, proceed with your cross examination."

* * *

><p><em>Cross-Examination<em>

_It's true. Arthur Barrymore _is_ a forger._

_It's pretty obvious, considering there was a copy of 'Distant Traces of Beauty' hanging where the original was before._

_But there's more to it than that. You see, Arthur Barrymore had an _accomplice_._

_And that accomplice happened to be Mr. Thomas Franklin, the victim in this case._

_Furthermore, Nicholas Dreinim did, in fact, attend Mr. Barrymore's dinner party._

**HOLD IT!**

"And how do you know this?" Phoenix asked. Ema frowned slightly.

"How am I supposed to know?" she asked. "You're the one that told me."

"**OBJECTION!**" Klarissa yelled. "That is not very solid basis for such a claim, Miss Ema Skye. This will not reflect well on your next salary review."

"Go to hell," Ema said flatly.

"**OBJECTION!**" Apollo held up the sketchbook, glaring at Ema. _Leave your personal issues out of this!_ Ema sighed.

"Fine then," she said. "I'll continue."

* * *

><p><em>And, according to a letter the victim wrote to Mr. Barrymore, Nicholas Dreinim knew his identity.<em>

_So you see, that makes Nicholas Dreinim a potential suspect in this case._

**HOLD IT!**

"I'm not quite sure I see how that bit of logic works," Phoenix said.

"It establishes a motive for Nicholas Dreinim," Ema insisted.

"But that alone isn't enough," Phoenix continued calmly. Ema sighed.

"I guess it isn't," she conceded.

"I do not see how this matter will be resolved unless we summon Nicholas Dreinim here," Klarissa said.

"But it's physically impossible," Ema replied. "Nicholas Dreinim's known for doing everything he possibly can to avoid public notice. He's not going to come, especially when he's a suspect for murder."

"Really now?" Phoenix asked cryptically. "You want him to testify?" He sighed heavily. "I suppose there's no way out if this is there? Very well. That can be arranged."

"What?" Ema gasped. "You can get him to testify? Then again, you _did_ know he was at the crime scene before, so I really shouldn't be surprised." Apollo frowned. _Something's not right_, he thought. _How is Mr. Wright so familiar with Nicholas Dreinim? It doesn't make any sense!_ The judge nodded.

"Court will now adjourn for a ten minute recess so that Mr. Wright can prepare the witness," he said, banging down his gavel.

* * *

><p><em>November 20, 3:21 PM<em>

_District Court_

_Defendant Lobby No. 1_

Phoenix was gone long before Apollo arrived. "Apollo!" Trucy called as she and Pearl sped towards him. "What's going to happen now?" _How am I supposed to know?_ Apollo simply shrugged. "What do you mean you don't know? Just who is Nicholas Dreinim? How does Daddy know him?" Apollo cleared his throat.

"Where are the others?" he croaked.

"I don't know," Trucy answered. "They were gone the second the judge banged down the gavel. But that doesn't matter now! What are we going to do? There's a chance Nicholas Dreinim's guilty!"

"Trust me, Trucy, Nicholas Dreinim is _not_ guilty." Apollo jumped as he looked at Pearl. Now she was several inches taller, and her face was slightly rounder.

"Oh!" Trucy said, grinning broadly. "Miss Fey! It's you!"

"Who?" Apollo squeaked. Trucy gestured towards the woman now inhabiting Pearl's body.

"Apollo, this is Mia Fey, Daddy's mentor," she introduced. "She died a while ago, but she keeps coming back to help us."

"I can't stay for long, though," Mia said. "I can feel Maya tugging at me from another end." She smiled warmly at Apollo. "I've heard great things about you, Mr. Justice. Phoenix thinks very highly of you." _He does? Well there's something you don't see every day._ "Now I can only assume Pearl channeled me because you're in a bit of a tight spot."

"So basically, this man named Thomas Franklin died, and the primary suspect is this girl named Kay Faraday, who happens to be an Interpol agent calling herself the great thief Yatagarasu," Trucy said in a rush. "First, she was accused of stealing a painting by Nicholas Dreinim from this art patron Arthur Barrymore, but at the same time, another painting by Nicholas Dreinim was stolen from Ivy University. And then—" Mia chuckled.

"Slow down, Trucy," she said. "Don't worry. Phoenix already filled me in on everything." Trucy sighed.

"Ok," she said. "So what happens now?"

"I don't know who the real culprit is, but I _can_ tell you that Nicholas Dreinim is completely innocent in all of this," Mia said. "I need to go now. Maya's getting impatient. Good luck, Apollo." Then she shut her eyes, and Pearl's body reverted back to the way it was before.

"So?" Pearl asked as soon as she opened her eyes. "What did she say? Did Mystic Mia say anything that could help us? What did she say?"

"She just said that Nicholas Dreinim's completely innocent," Trucy said, crossing her arms. Pearl frowned determinedly.

"Apollo, I'm going in there with you," she said. Apollo's eyes widened and he shook his head. _A minor in a courtroom? Is that even allowed? No! Don't come! I'll be fine!_

"Great," Trucy said as she shoved Pearl and Apollo towards the courtroom. "Now get in there and kick some ass!"

* * *

><p><em>November 20, 3:30 PM<em>

_District Court_

_Courtroom No. 3_

The judge banged his gavel down to silence the court. "Court will now reconvene for the trial of Miss Kay Faraday," he announced. "Before the recess, the defense requested to summon a new witness, the renowned painter Nicholas Dreinim. Mr. Wright, are you…" Only Apollo and Pearl stood at the defense's bench. _Mr. Wright never came back…_

"He's still not here, Your Honor," Pearl answered.

"And you are?" the judge asked. Pearl looked mildly offended.

"Um…" she began awkwardly. "Pearl Fey? Mia and Maya Fey's cousin? I was just here a couple months ago on trial for murder…" Realization dawned on the judge's face.

"Oh, I remember you now!" he gasped. _About time…_ "So… Mr. Dreinim, is it?" A man wearing a black hooded cloak stood at the witness stand. The hood was pulled over his head so that Apollo couldn't see his face.

"Witness, state your name and occupation," Klarissa ordered.

"Nicholas Dreinim," the man said quietly. "Painter."

"Testify to the court about what you were doing on the night of the murder," Klarissa continued.

"And if I say no?" Dreinim asked. Klarissa snapped her fingers.

"Then there _will_ be consequences." Dreinim chuckled dryly, making Apollo shiver. _What's with this guy?_

"All right then," he said. "No need to get your whip in a knot. I'll testify." _I don't like this guy…_ Apollo thought miserably.

"Don't worry, Apollo," Pearl assured him. "I'll handle this."

* * *

><p><em><span>Witness Testimony: The Night of the Murder<span>_

_Yes, I attended Mr. Barrymore's dinner party._

_He has contacted me several times over the past year or so, asking if I will come see his collection._

_I turned him down. Really, why would I want to see again what I already know quite well?_

_But no, I was not aware that Thomas Franklin was Arthur Barrymore's accomplice, or even that Arthur Barrymore was a forger himself._

_So, really, what could possibly prompt me to murder Thomas Franklin?_

* * *

><p>Pearl's shoulders began shaking. "I…" she mumbled. "I couldn't see anything wrong with his testimony… What am I going to do?"<p>

"Keep pressing him," Apollo whispered. "He's bound to spill something sooner or later." Pearl nodded.

"Ok."

* * *

><p><em><span>Cross-Examination<span>_

_Yes, I attended Mr. Barrymore's dinner party._

**HOLD IT!**

"Wh-When did you arrive?" Pearl stammered. Dreinim chuckled.

"Miss Fey, if you want to be a defense attorney, you really need to be more forceful," he said with amusement. Pearl frowned determinedly and slammed her hands down on the table.

"Answer the question!" she yelled.

"Much better," Dreinim said. "I would say—"

"**OBJECTION!**" Klarissa shouted, snapping her fingers. "Answer the question, Nicholas Dreinim. Now."

"I was getting there," Dreinim said slowly. "As I was saying, I arrived at around seven thirty that evening, and I came alone." Pearl exhaled sharply.

"Thank you," she said.

"You shouldn't be thanking me yet," Dreinim warned. "You're not even done with your cross-examination yet."

"R-Right…" Pearl mumbled.

* * *

><p><em>He has contacted me several times over the past year or so, asking if I will come see his collection.<em>

**HOLD IT!**

"How many times did he contact you?" Pearl asked.

"**OBJECTION!**" Klarissa yelled. "How many times Nicholas Dreinim has been contacted over the past year has no bearing on this case."

"B-But…" Pearl protested feebly.

"I'm sorry, Pearls, but I have to agree with Ms. von Karma," Dreinim said.

"Sorry…" Pearl mumbled quietly.

"There's no need to apologize," Dreinim said almost soothingly. "If I'm not mistaken, this is your first time actually defending someone, isn't it?"

"**OBJECTION!**" Klarissa yelled again. "Save the pointless banter for later, Nicholas Dreinim."

"As you wish, Ms. von Karma," Dreinim said.

* * *

><p><em>I turned him down. Really, why would I want to see again what I already know quite well?<em>

**HOLD IT!**

"Um…" Pearl began hesitantly. "I'm not sure I understand…"

"Look at it this way," Dreinim said. "I've already painted these paintings Mr. Barrymore so proudly exhibits. Why would I want to—"

"**OBJECTION!**" Klarissa yelled.

"**OBJECTION!**" Pearl yelled right back, slamming her hands down on the table. "Let him speak!" Dreinim simply chuckled.

"Very nice, Pearls," he complimented. Pearl furrowed her eyebrows slightly.

"What made you want to go to his dinner party then?" Pearl asked.

"Curiosity," Dreinim said simply. "Perhaps a means to boost my ego a bit? I'm not quite sure myself. So as I was saying…"

* * *

><p><em>But no, I was not aware that Thomas Franklin was Arthur Barrymore's accomplice, or even that Arthur Barrymore was a forger himself.<em>

**HOLD IT!**

"You…" Pearl began hesitantly, "weren't aware?"

"No I was not," Dreinim refuted.

"So Mystic Mia was right…" Pearl whispered.

"What was that?" Dreinim asked.

"N-Nothing…" Pearl mumbled awkwardly.

* * *

><p><em>So, really, what could possibly prompt me to murder Thomas Franklin?<em>

"Apollo, what do I do?" Pearl asked. "I don't know… he's not saying anything!" Apollo flipped open his sketchbook and scribbled something into it. _There aren't any glaring contradictions, but there's something off about his testimony. I can tell._

* * *

><p><em>Yes, I attended Mr. Barrymore's dinner party.<em>

_He has contacted me several times over the past year or so, asking if I will come see his collection._

_I turned him down. Really, why would I want to see again what I already know quite well?_

_But no, I was not aware that Thomas Franklin was Arthur Barrymore's accomplice, or even that Arthur Barrymore was a forger himself._

**HOLD IT!**

"Wait a minute!" Pearl yelled, realization dawning on her face. "How do you know that Arthur Barrymore was a forger? You just said that you attended his dinner party only out of curiosity, and you clearly didn't know about the forgeries then, so how do you know now?"

"I've been paying attention to the court proceedings," Dreinim said simply.

"**OBJECTION!**" Klarissa yelled. "The prosecution would like to request that the defense cease its inane babbling."

"**OBJECTION!**" Pearl shot back. "It's not babbling! I have a point!"

"Then please make it quickly, Miss Fey," the judge said. Pearl cleared her throat.

"Mr. Dreinim, you testified that you had no clue that Arthur Barrymore was a forger of your works or that Thomas Franklin, the victim in this case, was his accomplice," Pearl stated. "What I want to know is _how_ you knew this, especially when you were only recently summoned as a witness!"

"It's as I just said," Dreinim said flatly. "I paid attention to the court proceedings."

"But how?" Pearl asked. "Theoretically, you shouldn't even have been interested in this case. After all, those paintings that were stolen weren't even yours; they technically belonged to Ivy University and Mr. Barrymore. So why should you—"

"**OBJECTION!**" Klarissa yelled. "Nicholas Dreinim's interest in this case is completely irrelevant." Pearl slammed her hands down on the table.

"No it's not!" she protested. "Why would—"

"You're forgetting that I was there at Mr. Barrymore's mansion when the painting was reported stolen, Pearls," Dreinim interjected.

"But…" Pearl mumbled. "But I… I…"

"If the defense has nothing more to say, then I think we can relieve the witness now," Klarissa said.

"**OBJECTION!**" There was pin drop silence.

"Who…" the judge said. "Who said that?"

"I did!" Apollo said hoarsely, as loudly as he possibly could. "Mr. Dreinim, the defense demands that you remove your hood immediately."

"What?" the judge asked.

"What?" Pearl repeated. "Apollo, what are you saying?"

"Trust me on this one," he whispered. "We honestly won't get anywhere if you don't tell us who you really are. If you refuse to remove your hood, you will be held in contempt of court."

"I have a right not to testify, Apollo," Dreinim said darkly.

"But by doing so, you are also halting court proceedings," Apollo insisted. "It's obvious that the defendant, Kay Faraday, didn't commit the murder, so that just leaves you. You're doing yourself more harm than good by refusing to testify." Dreinim sighed heavily.

"It's State v. Engarde all over again…" he said wistfully before pulling off his hood. There at the witness stand was Phoenix Wright. "Are you happy now Apollo?" The spectators in the court broke into chatter, and the judge banged his gavel.

"Order!" he shouted. "Order! Order! Order in the court! Mr. Wright! What is the meaning of this?"

"Simple, Your Honor," Phoenix said. "I am Nicholas Dreinim."

"But…" Pearl mumbled. "Mr. Nick, you…"

"**OBJECTION!**" Klarissa yelled. "The prosecution would like to request a fifteen minute recess to interview the witness."

"**OBJECTION!**" Pearl shot back, slamming her hands down on the table. "Nicholas Dreinim has simply revealed his true identity. This changes nothing!"

"**OBJECTION!**" Klarissa refuted. "This changes absolutely everything, Pearl Fey. As of now, it has become clear that Nicholas Dreinim has been conspiring with the defense this entire time."

"**OBJECTION!**" Pearl yelled, only to find herself at a loss of words a second later. "That… That was objectionable!" Klarissa chuckled.

"I see now how desperate the defense was, recruiting someone not even out of secondary school," she said mockingly. Pearl clenched her hands into fists.

"Y-You…" she seethed.

"The courtroom really is no place for children," she continued.

"Well your sister started prosecuting when she was thirteen years old, so you really have no right to talk," Phoenix said. "If you want to interview me that badly, I will gladly comply." The judge gulped nervously.

"C-Court will now adjourn for a fifteen minute recess," he said shakily, banging down his gavel.

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

><p><em>Court Record:<em>

_Evidence_

_Attorney's Badge – No one would believe I was a defense attorney without this badge._

'_Distant Traces of Beauty' – A painting by the famed artist Nicholas Dreinim that was reported stolen by the art patron Arthur Barrymore. Depicts four butterflies flying through a meadow of pink flowers under a pitch black sky. One butterfly is caught on fire and two butterflies are covered in blood._

_Yatagarasu Calling Card – Found at the original location of Arthur Barrymore's stolen painting. Depicts a three-legged raven._

_Locked Art Gallery Door – A locked door in the art gallery in Barrymore's mansion near the original location of the stolen painting._

_Wooden Frame Remains – The charred remains of a wooden frame found in the fireplace at the art gallery at Barrymore's mansion. Contains Nicholas Dreinim's signature and the initials of 'Distant Traces of Beauty'._

'_The Fragrance of Dark Coffee' – A painting by the famed artist Nicholas Dreinim that was reported stolen by Professor Roland at Ivy University. Depicts a white coffee mug splattered with blood against a black background._

_Masque*deMasque Calling Card – Masque*deMasque's calling card. Usually appears when a valuable item is stolen._

_Franklin's Autopsy Report – Cause of death: suffocation due to a blow to the xiphoid process. Estimated time of death: September 17, 7:45 PM. Suspect: Kay Faraday._

_Crime Scene Photo – He's slumped against the wall in a dimly-lit room, and there's something on the floor next to him. Check for details._

'_Warehouse Tiger' – Another painting by Nicholas Dreinim. Depicts a tiger biting a green dragon against a bright orange background. Contains Nicholas Dreinim's signature in the bottom right-hand corner. Has the initials 'WT' on the frame._

'_Warehouse Tiger' Copy – A copy of Nicholas Dreinim's 'Warehouse Tiger' painted by Vera Misham. Nicholas Dreinim's signature is slightly higher than the one in the original. The shade of the dragon doesn't quite match that of the original, and the frame does not have the initials of the title of the work._

_Franklin's Note – A note Thomas Franklin asked his daughter Ellis to deliver to Arthur Barrymore before he died. Check for details._

_Profiles_

_Trucy Wright, 16 years old – My assistant and my boss's daughter. A magician who recently inherited the great Magnifi Gramarye's trade._

_Phoenix Wright, 34 years old – My boss, a defense attorney who lost his badge after being accused of fabricating evidence. He recently regained his defense attorney's badge, but he has to watch five of my trials before he can officially practice again._

_Maya Fey, 27 years old – Mr. Wright's old assistant and the master of the Kurain Channeling Technique. She's been dropping by the Wright Anything Agency a lot ever since Mr. Wright got back his badge. _

_Pearl Fey, 17 years old – Maya's younger cousin and an old client of mine. Usually hangs out with Trucy and me whenever she visits the Agency. Like Maya, can also channel the dead._

_Miles Edgeworth, 34 years old – Mr. Wright's old prosecutor rival. Requested that we defend his old friend._

_Iris Hawthorne, 33 years old – Mr. Wright's college sweetheart. Was sentenced to eight years in prison after tampering with a crime scene, but was recently released._

_Kay Faraday, 24 years old – An Interpol agent who calls herself the great thief Yatagarasu. One of my clients._

_Ron DeLite, 31 years old – A man formerly known as the legendary thief Masque*deMasque. My other client._

_Desirée DeLite, 31 years old – The pregnant wife of my client Ron DeLite._

_Ema Skye, 26 years old – An avid scientist turned detective who was formerly employed under prosecutor Klavier Gavin._

_Ellis Franklin, 18 years old – A maid working for Arthur Barrymore. Cripplingly shy._

_Arthur Barrymore, 48 years old – A patron of the arts and one of the victims. Had the painting 'Distant Traces of Beauty' by Nicholas Dreinim stolen. Is actually a forger who sells copies of Nicholas Dreinim's paintings for more than the originals' worth._

_Professor Roland, 68 years old – Mr. Wright's old art professor. Reported the painting 'The Fragrance of Dark Coffee' stolen._

_Shi-Long Lang, 35 years old – An Interpol agent from the Republic of Zheng-Fa investigating the theft at Ivy University. Has a thing for wolf metaphors._

_Dr. Hindley, 43 years old – Ron and Desiree DeLite's doctor. Did Desiree's sonogram on the night 'The Fragrance of Dark Coffee' was stolen from Ivy University._

_Thomas Franklin, 43 years old – The murder victim and Ellis Franklin's father. Suffocated to death either by being strangled by someone wearing gloves or by having his xiphoid process hit so hard that he stopped breathing altogether._

_Klarissa von Karma, 41 years old – A prosecutor who recently moved here from Germany after her sister was promoted to chief prosecutor. _

_Vera Misham, 20 years old – A painter and one of my previous clients. Has a knack for copying things precisely and unknowingly used to be a forger._

_Joseph King, 43 years old – Arthur Barrymore's accomplice. Nobody knows who he is or what he looks like. 'Joseph King' is only a pseudonym, and his real name is Thomas Franklin, the name of the victim in this case._

_Nicholas Dreinim, ? years old – A famous painter who had two of his works reported stolen. A mysterious, shifty person who avoids any and all unwanted attention. He was at Barrymore's mansion the day of the murder, according to Mr. Wright, which makes him a potential suspect. Is actually Phoenix Wright._

_Mia Fey, ? years old – Mr. Wright's dead mentor who Pearl and Maya channel often._

XX

**Is Klarissa starting to piss you off? I really hope she is. And I really hope the big reveal with Nicholas Dreinim's identity wasn't too obvious or too ass pull-ish… PLEASE REVIEW!**


	14. Turnabout Composition: Part 9

**Holy crap, you all thought it was Larry… but you all agree that Nicholas Dreinim's identity was a shock, yet easily hinted at before… THAT MEANS I SUCCEEDED! YAY! Anyway, enjoy this chapter!**

XX

_November 20, 4:03 PM_

_District Court_

_Defendant Lobby No. 1_

Pearl paced back and forth nervously. "What do we do, what do we do…" she mumbled. She halted in front of Apollo. "You know what? Talk to Mystic Mia."

"No!" Apollo hissed. "That's not necessary." _These dead people are starting to freak me out._

"But what do we do?" she asked desperately. "I didn't know that Mr. Nick was… did you—"

"I had absolutely no clue," Apollo said flatly.

"Pearls?" Phoenix stood before them with his eyebrows raised. "Is everything ok?" Apollo glared at him.

"When exactly were you planning on telling us that little detail?" he demanded hoarsely.

"What detail?" Phoenix replied innocently.

"That you're Nicholas Dreinim, Mr. Nick!" Pearl said. "Wait a minute… Nicholas… Mr. Nick…" She hung her head. "I get it now…" Phoenix smiled gently.

"I can assure you, I never meant for it to go this far," he said.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Apollo asked, before shaking his head. "Never mind. Just answer this question. Did you kill Thomas Franklin?"

"Everything I said in my testimony was the complete and total truth, Apollo," Phoenix said. "I had no idea about the forgeries, and I had no idea that Thomas Franklin was an accomplice. In other words, I have no motive. So no, I didn't kill Thomas Franklin."

"But if you didn't do it, and Miss Faraday didn't do it…" Pearl began uncertainly, "then who did?" Phoenix wore a goofy grin.

"I think I have a pretty good idea," he said. "It sucks for Klarissa that perhaps the most important witness in this case is on the defense's side." Apollo rolled his eyes.

"Don't flatter yourself," he said dryly.

"He _does_ have a point, though," Pearl conceded.

"You're doing really well, Pearls, for someone who's not even out of high school yet," Phoenix complimented, "so don't worry about channeling Mia. I think you'll be fine on your own." Pearl smiled.

"Thank you, Mr. Nick…"

* * *

><p><em>November 20, 4:05 PM<em>

_District Court_

_Courtroom No. 3_

The courtroom was unnaturally silent as Apollo and Pearl waited at the defense's bench. Phoenix stood at the witness stand, though he left out his black cloak. Klarissa stood at the prosecutor's side with a cold, calculating gaze. The judge banged down his gavel. "Court will now reconvene for the trial of Miss Kay Faraday," he said sharply. "Ms. von Karma, was that enough time for you to interrogate the witness?

"It was more than enough time," Phoenix answered for her. "As for my testimony… Pearls, do you want it from Phoenix Wright or Nicholas Dreinim?" Pearl frowned slightly.

"Both, please," she said. Phoenix hung his head and smiled.

"Good answer," he said.

* * *

><p><em>Yes, I'm Nicholas Dreinim, but I can assure you, I never meant for it to go this far.<em>

_It all started a couple of months after I adopted Trucy._

_This court doesn't need to hear again how I lost my job._

_Bottom line: piano playing didn't provide enough income to raise a little girl._

_Until then, I always thought my Bachelors in painting and drawing from Ivy U was useless._

_I decided to finally put that degree to good use, and I became Nicholas Dreinim._

* * *

><p>"But why didn't you come to us?" Pearl demanded, slamming her hands down on the table for emphasis. "We could have helped you!"<p>

"I didn't want to borrow money from anyone, Pearls," Phoenix answered.

"But…" she protested feebly.

"We can talk about that later," he said hurriedly. "It's time for the cross-examination."

* * *

><p><em><span>Cross-Examination<span>_

_Yes, I'm Nicholas Dreinim, but I can assure you, I never meant for it to go this far._

**HOLD IT!**

"What do you mean by that?" Pearl asked.

"I sold paintings to make enough money to provide a comfortable lifestyle for Trucy, Pearls," Phoenix explained. "I had no intention of making it into the big leagues." He wore a goofy grin. "I never thought I was that good to begin with. Anyway…"

* * *

><p><em>It all started a couple of months after I adopted Trucy.<em>

**HOLD IT!**

"What do you mean by 'it all started'?" Pearl asked, frowning confusedly.

"Exactly that," Phoenix said flatly. "I sold my first painting. 'Distant Traces of Beauty,' if I'm not mistaken."

"Did anyone know about this?" she continued.

"**OBJECTION!**" Klarissa yelled, snapping her fingers. "That question has no bearing on the issue at hand. The judge nodded.

"Objection sustained," he said. "Mr. Dreinim… err… I mean… Mister… um…"

"Mr. Wright is fine, Your Honor," Phoenix said helpfully.

"Mr. Wright, please continue your testimony," the judge concluded.

* * *

><p><em>This court doesn't need to hear again how I lost my job.<em>

**HOLD IT!**

"I'm not… familiar with that," Pearl said uncertainly. "Mystic Maya never told me."

"Neither am I, for that matter," Klarissa added.

"Long story short, I inadvertently pissed off a fellow defense attorney because his client switched attorneys to me at the last minute, so said defense attorney saw fit to completely ruin my career," Phoenix explained. "Granted, it took me seven years to get back on my feet, but what do you expect when someone accuses you of forgeries? In law, that is, not painting."

"**OBJECTION!**" Klarissa yelled. "That last statement was unnecessary." Phoenix grimaced.

"Ok, I'll admit that you're the easiest von Karma to deal with, considering that you haven't outright ignored me or threatened me with bodily harm yet, but you're really _pushy_," Phoenix complained. "You do realize that, don't you?" Klarissa wagged her pointer finger and smirked.

"That particular trait is hereditary," she said as if it explained everything.

"Clearly," Phoenix retorted dryly.

* * *

><p><em>Bottom line: piano playing didn't provide enough income to raise a little girl.<em>

_Until then, I always thought my Bachelors in painting and drawing from Ivy U was useless._

_I decided to finally put that degree to good use, and I became Nicholas Dreinim._

**HOLD IT!**

"Meaning you created and sold your first painting?" Pearl asked.

"Yes," Phoenix answered.

"Who bought it?" Apollo croaked suddenly.

"Arthur Barrymore, of course," Phoenix replied, smirking. He broke his gaze away from Pearl and began to stare off absentmindedly. "Of course, he wasn't very well known at the time. I just sold the painting to him because he was willing to pay a lot of money for it."

"And what happened after that?" Pearl asked.

"Do you honestly expect something mind-breaking or ground-shattering to happen after selling one painting?" Apollo asked rhetorically.

"Actually, Arthur Barrymore publicized it," Phoenix interjected. "He told a friend about me, who told another friend, who told another friend. Before I knew it, I was getting commissions left, right and center."

"So that's how you…" Pearl began hesitantly. "I mean… Nicholas Dreinim… became famous?" Phoenix nodded and smiled.

"Yes," he said. "Arthur Barrymore is a _businessman_, and a very good one at that. If it weren't for him and his connections, I wouldn't be where I am today."

"He's…" Apollo croaked, "a businessman? Does he paint?"

"Not that I know of," Phoenix replied nonchalantly. _That would mean…_ Apollo slammed his fists down on the table.

"Your Honor, the defense would like to cross examine Arthur Barrymore once more," he said hoarsely.

"**OBJECTION!**" Klarissa yelled. "He has already fulfilled his role."

"**OBJECTION!**" Apollo held up the sketchbook, unable to yell back. "Not yet, he hasn't." He coughed and cleared his throat loudly.

"I'll do all the talking from now on," Pearl whispered to him. "Just write down everything you want me to say." _That's worked out _great_ so far…_ Apollo thought bitterly. Nonetheless, he quickly scribbled down something on the sketchpad. Pearl scanned it quickly. "Your Honor, the defense would like to make a different request. The defense would like to cross examine Miss Vera Misham."

"Who?" the judge asked.

"Surely you remember her, Your Honor," Phoenix said. "Blue hair, really shy, forged paintings for her father without realizing that what she was doing was wrong, almost killed by Kristoph Gavin…"

"Oh!" the judge gasped. "I remember her! Ms. von Karma, if you would, please summon Miss Vera Misham to the witness stand." Klarissa wagged her finger and smirked.

"I see no need to," she said simply.

"Wh-What?" Pearl stammered.

"Unless you can prove that she has some connection to this case, I will not summon her," Klarissa continued.

"I…" Pearl mumbled. "I…"

"I can do that," Apollo said hoarsely, "and I have the evidence to back it up."

"Very well, Mr. Justice," the judge said. "Show us why we should summon Miss Misham as a special witness."

"**TAKE THAT!**" Apollo held up the fake 'Warehouse Tiger' painting that Vera had given him before. "Your Honor, Miss Misham created a fake version of Nicholas Dreinim's 'Warehouse Tiger' specifically for this case to show us how to differentiate between real paintings and forgeries. Considering that she herself was unknowingly in the business before, I don't believe it would be too much of a stretch to say that her testimony would be valuable." The judge nodded.

"Very well," he said. "Ms. von Karma, please summon Miss Vera Misham to the witness stand." After a few minutes, Vera stood at the witness stand.

"Vera Misham, please testify to the court about the forgeries," Klarissa ordered.

"Um…" Vera mumbled, chewing on her nails.

"Vera, you have _got_ to stop doing that," Apollo said. "You almost got yourself killed because you wouldn't stop biting your nails!"

"S-Sorry…" she stuttered. "Anyway, my father bought the painting 'Warehouse Tiger' by Nicholas Dreinim a few years ago. To show how you can differentiate between real paintings and forgeries, I have painted a copy of the original painting. Um… Apollo, would you…?"

"Of course," Apollo answered, nodding. He stood next to Vera and held up the original 'Warehouse Tiger'.

"The painting Mr. Justice is holding is the original 'Warehouse Tiger,'" Vera explained. "Note Nicholas Dreinim's signature on the frame, something exclusive to his paintings. If you see the frame of the copy, there is no signature. Furthermore, the colors don't exactly match either."

"And your point is?" Klarissa asked impatiently.

"The most important part about forging artworks is that you can't do it alone," Vera concluded. "One person has to paint, and the other has to sell. It's virtually impossible for one person to do everything."

"This court has already proven that Thomas Franklin was Arthur Barrymore's accomplice," Klarissa snapped.

"Please, Your Honor," Vera begged. "I have a point."

"Then please make it quickly," the judge ordered.

"Mr. Barrymore bought some of my father's paintings…" Vera mumbled. "His originals, that is. My father even attended one of his dinner parties and learned that Mr. Barrymore can't paint at all."

"**OBJECTION!**" Klarissa protested. "That is irrelevant to this case."

"**OBJECTION!**" Pearl shot back. "No it's not! Mr. Franklin wrote a note to Mr. Barrymore resigning from his service, so—"

"**OBJECTION!**" Klarissa interrupted. "That note no longer holds any bearing on this case, as it only served to incriminate Nicholas Dreinim, who has just been proven innocent."

"**OBJECTION!**" Pearl yelled, slamming her hands down on the table and leaning forward. "We haven't proven anything yet because you won't give us a chance! Mr. Nick is just as suspicious as Mr. Barrymore!" The courtroom went silent. "Wh-What?" Pearl stammered. "W-Was it something I said?"

"And there you have it, Your Honor," Phoenix said. "We've forgotten all about Mr. Barrymore, who is still a potential suspect in this case. For now, the defense would like to cross-examine Mr. Barrymore."

"But Mr. Nick…" Pearl protested feebly. "I just accused you."

"Not formally, you didn't," Phoenix refuted. "Besides, the only way I can prove myself, or Kay for that matter, innocent is by finding the real culprit behind this murder." Pearl nodded.

"Ok…" she mumbled. And so Arthur Barrymore was called once more up to the witness stand. Phoenix and Apollo joined Pearl at the defense's bench, and Vera left the witness stand.

"Witness, please state your name and occupation," Phoenix said.

"Arthur Barrymore," the man said flatly. "Art patron. Businessman." He glowered at Phoenix. "I can't believe that all this time… _you_ were Nicholas Dreinim." Phoenix smirked.

"That was a bit of a shock for almost everyone in this courtroom, actually," he said wryly. "Witness, please testify about your relationship with the victim, Mr. Thomas Franklin."

"I see no point in this," Arthur Barrymore said flatly. "Since when am I a suspect in this case?"

"Pearls, would you like to explain?" Phoenix asked. Pearl nodded.

"Mr. Barrymore, you and Mr. Nick are the only suspects left," Pearl explained. "Neither of you have an alibi—"

"Neither does the defendant," Barrymore said flatly.

"But she made it clear that she didn't come anywhere near your mansion on the night of the murder," Pearl continued. "You and Mr. Nick were both there at the scene of the crime when the murder occurred, so you both are—"

"I have no motive," Barrymore interjected.

"Neither does Mr. Nick," Pearl refuted. "So you both are…" She trailed off and stared at the floor.

"Equally suspicious," Phoenix finished with a smirk. "Well I certainly didn't kill Thomas Franklin. If you cooperate with us, Mr. Barrymore, we may be able to prove your innocence."

"Fine," Barrymore spat.

* * *

><p><em><span>Witness Testimony: How I knew Franklin<span>_

_Thomas Franklin was a budding artist back when I first met him._

_He was widowed, and he had a two-year-old shackle weighing him down._

_He struggled until he met me. He was so desperate, he considered giving up that shackle for adoption._

_That all changed when he began working for me._

_He would paint, and I would sell his paintings… for a price, of course._

_You see, I had… certain commissions of my own._

_He soon began to become… obsolete, so I took another form of payment instead._

* * *

><p>"What a horrible person…" Pearl mumbled.<p>

"Pearls, I want you to cross-examine him," Phoenix said.

"But there isn't anything wrong with his testimony."

"Then just keep pressing him," Phoenix advised. "When in doubt, just press."

* * *

><p><em><span>Cross-Examination<span>_

_Thomas Franklin was a budding artist back when I first met him._

_He was widowed, and he had a two-year-old shackle weighing him down._

**HOLD IT!**

"You mean his daughter Ellis?" Pearl asked.

"Yes," Barrymore said. "The most nauseating part of it was that he loved that shackle more than anything. As I was saying…"

* * *

><p><em>He struggled until he met me. He was so desperate, he considered giving up that shackle for adoption.<em>

**HOLD IT!**

"You mean he couldn't support poor Ellis?" Pearl asked.

"No, he barely had enough money to support himself," Barrymore said with disdain. "Until…"

* * *

><p><em>That all changed when he began working for me.<em>

_He would paint, and I would sell his paintings… for a price, of course._

_You see, I had… certain commissions of my own._

**HOLD IT!**

"And these commissions were the forgeries?" Pearl asked.

"Some of them were," Barrymore answered, "but most of them were things I wanted to see done. Anyway…"

* * *

><p><em>He soon began to become… obsolete, so I took another form of payment instead.<em>

**HOLD IT!**

"What do you mean by 'obsolete'?" Pearl asked.

"He was a careless driver, and he permanently injured his hand in an accident," Barrymore explained.

"And was the hand that was injured his dominant hand?" Apollo croaked.

"Yes," Barrymore explained.

"But what was the payment that he gave you?" Pearl asked.

"His daughter," Barrymore said simply. "Because Thomas could no longer paint for me, I requested that his daughter work for me instead."

"As a maid?" Pearl whispered.

"A maid, a housekeeper, a servant…" Barrymore clarified. "Whatever you wish to call it." Pearl stared at the floor.

"So she was a slave…" she mumbled. "But… why? Why couldn't you just let them go?"

"The Franklins would not last a week without me," Barrymore said spitefully. "If I cut Thomas off, where would that leave his daughter? Remember, he cared for her more than anyone else."

"**HOLD IT!**" Apollo yelled as loudly as he could. "You said Thomas Franklin no longer worked for you?"

"That is correct," Barrymore replied.

"Then append this to your testimony," Apollo demanded.

* * *

><p><em>Because Thomas no longer worked for me, I had his daughter Ellis work instead.<em>

**OBJECTION!**

Apollo crossed his arms and smirked triumphantly. Pearl simply stared confusedly at him. "Gotcha," he said hoarsely.

"Wh-What's going on?" Pearl stammered. "What do you mean?"

"You say that Mr. Franklin stopped working for you," Apollo said, "but here in this letter that he gave to his daughter to give to you, he was _resigning_." He slammed his fists down on the table and leaned forward. "_That means he was still working for you before he died!_" Barrymore flinched, and the court broke into chatter. The judge banged his gavel.

"Order!" he shouted futilely. "Order! Order in the court! Mr. Justice! Explain yourself!"

"Thomas Franklin was still working for you before he died," Apollo stated again. "You lied in your testimony!"

"The defense demands that you testify again about what you did that night," Phoenix said suddenly.

"What?" Apollo gasped. "Mr. Wright, what are you—"

"Just trust me on this one, Apollo," Phoenix said, his expression unreadable.

* * *

><p><em><span>Witness Testimony: What Happened the Night of the Murder<span>_

_Do I really need to go through this again?_

_I invited some guests home, and we made our way to the art gallery to peruse the paintings there._

_I called the police because my painting was missing._

_But I already confessed to having burned it, correct?_

_Either way, I did not leave my home that evening._

* * *

><p>"He's lying," Apollo said almost immediately.<p>

"I know," Phoenix replied.

"I think we have evidence to back it up too," Pearl added.

"This case is finally coming together," Phoenix said. "Go at him with everything you have, both of you."

* * *

><p><em><span>Witness Testimony: What Happened the Night of the Murder<span>_

_Do I really need to go through this again?_

_I invited some guests home, and we made our way to the art gallery to peruse the paintings there._

_I called the police because my painting was missing._

_But I already confessed to having burned it, correct?_

_Either way, I did not leave my home that evening._

**OBJECTION!**

Pearl slammed her hands down on the table. "Mr. Barrymore!" she yelled. "Take a look at this picture. What do you see?"

"Thomas," Barrymore said as he glanced at the photograph of the dead body. "So what?"

"Do you see something else in this photograph?" Pearl asked. "Something else of value?" Barrymore frowned at the photograph.

"Some sort of painting," he said nonchalantly. "Who cares?"

"There _is_ someone who's rather curious about this painting's whereabouts," Pearl said, smirking.

"Who?" the judge asked. Pearl paused dramatically.

"Professor Roland," Phoenix answered finally.

"Who?" the judge asked again.

"The head of the Fine Arts department of Ivy U," Phoenix explained. "Your Honor, if you recall, at the same time a painting was reported stolen from Arthur Barrymore, _another_ painting was reported stolen from Ivy University."

"And that painting reported stolen was 'The Fragrance of Dark Coffee,'" Pearl continued, slamming her hands on the table and leaning forward. "_The very same painting in this photograph!_"

"**OBJECTION!**" Klarissa interrupted. "Arthur Barrymore is a forger. There is no guarantee that the painting depicted in the photograph is the original."

"**OBJECTION!**" Pearl shot back. "How could he forge something that wasn't even his to begin with?"

"Furthermore, no photography is allowed in the art galleries at Ivy U," Phoenix explained, "so he couldn't have taken a picture of the original and then copied it."

"Thomas could have gone and fetched it," Barrymore refuted.

"But you just said he permanently injured is hand and couldn't paint for you anymore," Pearl shot back. "If he couldn't paint, how do you expect him to drive all the way to Ivy University?" The courtroom broke into chatter once more, and the judge banged his gavel.

"Order!" he yelled. "Order in the court."

"Are you saying that I went to steal the painting?" Barrymore asked.

"Yes we are," Apollo said hoarsely. "And you used this to draw suspicion away from yourself…" He pulled out the Masque*deMasque calling card. "**TAKE THAT!**"

"You tried to frame someone else for the theft," Phoenix clarified.

"And then you burned your own painting and framed Miss Faraday for stealing it," Pearl said, "and you timed it so that the two paintings would be reported missing close to the same time, so that you would appear innocent in all of this." To their surprise, Barrymore smirked.

"You have no proof," he said simply. "And what does your bit of analysis achieve anyway? It still does not answer the main question in this trial: who killed Thomas Franklin?" Phoenix swore under his breath.

"He's right," he conceded. "We've been going around in circles." Apollo glared at Barrymore. _My bracelet's reacting…_ he thought. _He's hiding something, and something tells me that it will solve this case once and for all!_ Apollo slammed his fists down on the table.

"Mr. Barrymore, answer this question," Apollo ordered. "Did you meet Thomas Franklin the night he was murdered?"

"No I did not," Barrymore answered automatically. Apollo crossed his arms and smirked.

"You're lying." The courtroom broke into chatter.

"Order!" the judge shouted, banging his gavel. "Order! Order! Order in the court! Mr. Justice, explain yourself!"

"That will be difficult if the witness refuses to testify," Apollo said. "So Mr. Barrymore, please testify about what exactly Thomas Franklin did for you after the accident that injured his hand."

"I refuse to testify," Barrymore said flatly.

"So you admit to the murder of Thomas Franklin then?" Pearl piped up.

"N-No!" Barrymore refuted.

"Well if you refuse to testify, then you're essentially doing just that," Phoenix said. Barrymore glared at the three of them.

"Fine," he spat.

* * *

><p><em><span>Witness Testimony: What Thomas Did After the Accident<span>_

_Thomas used his left hand to paint._

_Granted, it took a lot longer for him to complete his works, and his copies were not as stellar as they were before._

_So I took Ellis under my wing._

_Thomas never ceased to bug me about it. He would constantly ask that I let her go._

* * *

><p>"Leave this cross-examination to me," Apollo whispered. "Arthur Barrymore is going down."<p>

* * *

><p><em><span>Cross-Examination<span>_

_Thomas used his left hand to paint._

_Granted, it took a lot longer for him to complete his works, and his copies were not as stellar as they were before._

_So I took Ellis under my wing._

_Thomas never ceased to bug me about it. He would constantly ask that I let her go._

Apollo gazed intently at Barrymore, who was rubbing his right hand with his left. He had broken his gaze away from Apollo and was fidgeting nervously with his hands. "He would constantly ask that I let her go…" Just as he said this, he clasped his hands together. Apollo smirked triumphantly.

**GOTCHA!**

"Mr. Barrymore, do you realize that you fidget with your hands whenever you mention Mr. Franklin and his desire to free his daughter from your clutches?" Apollo asked.

"I do not see how that has any relevance to this case," Barrymore retorted flatly. "Are you insinuating that I murdered Thomas Franklin? Well in that case, you are sorely mistaken. He was strangled to death. There were no fingerprints around his neck, least of all mine."

"I'm so very sorry, Mr. Barrymore, but you're wrong," Apollo said tauntingly, "and I can prove it." He pulled out Thomas Franklin's autopsy report. "**TAKE THAT!** Thomas Franklin died from a blow to the xiphoid process. He was _hit_, not _strangled_… And you had every reason to murder him."

"How?" Barrymore shot back. "Show me your proof." Apollo pulled out the Yatagarasu's calling card.

"**TAKE THAT!**" He smirked triumphantly. "You said that Thomas Franklin cared more for his daughter than for anything else. He was going to make his knowledge of you _public_ if you didn't let his daughter go. He was going to come clean about his involvement in the forgeries," he slammed his fists down on the table and leaned forward, "_which would, in turn, incriminate you!_"

"GNNOOOOOOOOOO!" Barrymore bellowed with his hands on his head.

"With Mr. Franklin threatening to reveal everything, you had two people on your case," Apollo asserted. "Kay Faraday, also known as the Yatagarasu, and your own partner in crime, Thomas Franklin."

"You murdered Thomas Franklin, didn't you?" Pearl asked gently. "Because it would get at least one person off your back." Barrymore had turned his head away, and it was starting to unnerve Apollo.

"Proof," he said in a deadly low whisper. "Where's your proof that I did all this?" He snapped his head back to face the courtroom, a deranged smile on his face. "Show me! Where's your proof that I stole the painting from Ivy University and framed it on Masque*deMasque, that I burned my own painting and framed it on the Yatagarasu, that I killed Thomas Franklin to keep him from talking about our little business? Huh? Show me!" _This is bad_, Apollo thought miserably. _I know I'm right, but… I just can't prove it!_

"If the defense has no more objections, Your Honor, you may—" Klarissa began.

"**OBJECTION!**" a new voice yelled. Ema burst through the doors of the courtroom and sprinted to the witness stand.

"Ema Skye!" Klarissa gasped. "Just where have you been?"

"Doing a full body analysis on Thomas Franklin," Ema replied breathlessly.

"And there was no possible way you could do this before?" Klarissa asked, her eyebrows furrowing.

"No, there wasn't," Ema replied irritably, "because I was trying to put _your _case together and get all the evidence approved."

"Did you find anything?" Phoenix asked.

"Like I said, I did a full body analysis on Thomas Franklin," Ema repeated. "I even looked through his medical records. Turns out he just barely survived a near fatal accident."

"Was the accident really that bad?" Pearl whispered.

"Well he injured his hand permanently, which pretty much ruined his career," Ema said, "but that also… how do I say this… made his body more _fragile_. There was a handprint at his xiphoid process, and the fingerprints belonged to Arthur Barrymore." The courtroom broke into chatter, and the judge banged his gavel.

"Order!" he shouted. "Order! Order in the court!" Ema glared at Barrymore.

"Shoving people isn't nice, Mr. Barrymore," she said, "unless the person you're pushing is trying to kill someone else. Believe me, I'm an expert." She pulled out a pair of handcuffs. "The jig is up. You're coming with me." She proceeded to lead him out of the courtroom. Kay made her way back to the witness stand.

"Miss Faraday," the judge said, "you have endured so much during this trial."

"We're sorry it dragged out so long," Phoenix apologized, "but we couldn't really prove you innocent unless we found the real killer."

"It's all good!" Kay said cheerfully. "At least that phony was caught in the end."

"Well, now it's time to finally hand down my verdict," the judge said. "I pronounce the defendant, Kay Faraday, **NOT GUILTY**. Court is adjourned." He banged down his gavel one last time.

* * *

><p><em>November 20, 5:15 PM<em>

_District Court_

_Defendant Lobby No. 1_

"Thanks a lot, you guys!" Kay said cheerfully.

"It was no problem at all, Kay," Phoenix replied, chuckling. Pearl exhaled sharply.

"That was exhausting…" she mumbled.

"I know it can be pretty stressful at times," Phoenix told her, "but you just have to do it." Pearl gave him a weak smile in return.

"I know," she replied.

"NIIIIIIICK!" Maya hollered as she, Iris, Edgeworth and Trucy burst into the defendant lobby.

"Well, Kay, looks like you survived another murder accusation," Edgeworth said, smirking. Maya scoffed.

"She has nothing on me," she said. "I was accused of murder _three times_."

"That's not exactly something you should be proud of, Maya," Phoenix said uncertainly.

"Whatever," she replied nonchalantly. She quickly trapped her cousin in a bear hug. Pearl gave a small "eep!" as she glomped her. "Pearly, that was amazing!"

"I-I really didn't do anything…" Pearl mumbled, her face red.

"The way you stood up to Klarissa was rather impressive," Edgeworth acknowledged.

"Apollo?" Trucy called uncertainly. "Are you ok?" Apollo nodded. "Your voice is gone, isn't it?" Apollo nodded again, and Trucy draped her arm around him. "Don't worry! Once we get home, I'll make you some nice hot tea. You'll feel better in no time!"

"Feenie…" Iris mumbled quietly.

"Hey Iris," Phoenix greeted casually, pecking her on the cheek. She giggled in response.

"Ugh," Maya groaned. "Get a room, you two. Seriously."

"So how does it feel now that everyone knows?" Iris asked.

"Knows what?" Trucy asked.

"That Nick's Nicholas Dreinim," Maya replied as if it were the most obvious answer in the world.

"Wait a minute," Pearl whispered. "You _knew_?"

"We were the first people Wright came to when this little fiasco happened," Edgeworth explained.

"You _knew_ and you didn't tell us?" Pearl asked. Apollo flipped open Vera's sketchbook.

"**OBJECTION!**" _Seriously, why am I always the one out of the loop?_

"Daddy, why didn't you tell me you were having money trouble?" Trucy asked her father, wide-eyed. "I could have helped! I could have done more shows, I could have…" She trailed off and Phoenix gave her a one-armed hug.

"Trucy, you were eight years old, your grandfather had just died, your father had just disappeared, and your only other family member was in jail," Phoenix said matter-of-factly. "The last thing I wanted was to burden you with more troubles."

"But…" Trucy protested weakly. "You didn't have to…"

"Become Nicholas Dreinim?" Phoenix finished. "Hey, I rather like painting. Becoming Nicholas Dreinim reminded me of why I became an art major in the first place."

"And why's that?" Kay asked.

"It's calming," Phoenix answered. "It's relaxing, and I'm _good_ at it. Most of all, I feel that whenever I paint, all my troubles evaporate. It really is a nice feeling." He gave them a sort of half smile. "I guess becoming Nicholas Dreinim is one of the best things that's happened to me over the years." He exhaled sharply. "But it's time to end it."

"You're not going to paint anymore?" Iris asked.

"No, I'll still paint," Phoenix said. "I just won't sell my paintings anymore. It's not like I need the money anymore anyway."

"Well that's good to hear," Maya said.

"You really should have told us, though, Mr. Nick," Pearl said disapprovingly. Phoenix laughed.

"I know, I'm sorry," he replied.

_And so that trial came to a close. It sucked that I couldn't do much because I lost my voice, but I'm glad we still won the trial in the end. I always thought that all these random friends of Mr. Wright appearing all over the place would be annoying, but, surprisingly, I like it. Mr. Wright, Trucy, Maya, Pearl, Iris, Mr. Edgeworth and I have formed a sort of family. A loud, obnoxious, dysfunctional family, but I wouldn't give it up for anything. _

_Now as for _my_ friends…_

* * *

><p><em>November 21, 11:32 AM<em>

_Wright Anything Agency_

"Come on, Apollo!" Trucy yelled. "Drink your soup, or you'll never get better!"

"I'm not hungry," Apollo croaked.

"But what about your Chords of Steel?" Trucy protested.

"They need a break," Apollo muttered bitterly. Trucy pouted.

"They're going to crash and burn and _die_ if you don't drink your soup!" she insisted, picking up a spoonful of soup and shoving it into Apollo's mouth. He grunted in disapproval, but swallowed the soup nonetheless.

"So when are you coming back?" Ema asked. She sat on the couch with her laptop on her lap, her chin resting on her hands.

"Miss me already, Fräulein Detective?" Ema rolled her eyes.

"You wish," she retorted.

"Hi Klavier!" Trucy greeted cheerfully as she plopped down next to Ema.

"Good morning, Fräulein," the blonde prosecutor greeted pleasantly. His face was on the screen of Ema's laptop, and, in a tiny box at the bottom of the screen, Trucy could see Ema's and her face.

"To answer your question, Ema…" Klavier began, "I am about to board a plane back to Los Angeles."

"Yay!" Trucy cheered loudly. "You're coming back!"

"Finally," Apollo said in a hoarse whisper. "I don't want to deal with that von Karma lady ever again."

"Oh come on, Apollo," Ema reprimanded. "She isn't _that_ bad."

"Says the person who keeps complaining to me about how she chops your salary like it is…" Klavier began. "What did you say it was?"

"Sushi," Ema finished. "She chops up my salary like it's sushi because it's 'uncustomary for detectives to make more than prosecutors'." Trucy giggled.

"So why don't you just quit?" Apollo asked.

"Maybe you're right," Ema grumbled. "I'll become a prosecutor like my sister, even… So when did you say you were coming back?"

"Right now," Klavier answered flatly. "Prosecutor Klavier Gavin is back. Achtung, baby!"

**THE END**

XX

**Whew! Glad that case is done. I hope you all enjoyed it!**

**NEXT TIME ON APOLLO JUSTICE: NEW BEGINNINGS… Prosecutor Klavier Gavin is back in town with his new hit single, "Dusting for Fingerprints". Three friends attend his concert, but one of them ends up dead, and the prime suspect is… Ema Skye?**

**PLEASE REVIEW!**


	15. Songs for a New Turnabout: Prologue

**So I kinda lied back in the previous chapter. Ema's not going to be the defendant. I have a good reason for this, which I will explain at the end of this case. **

**As for the title, it's a play on "Songs for a New World". Enjoy!**

XX

_Three girls stood out in front of a concert hall. "Maddie, I can't believe I'm saying this, but I love you."_

_"This is stupid."_

_"Oh lighten up for once, Mina!" _

_"I hate that Gavin guy."_

_"Why? He's so awesome and so sweet and so kind, and—" The girl Mina groaned exasperatedly._

_"I know guys like these. They're total flakes."_

_"Oh come on, you don't know that for sure."_

_"I'm serious, Ruka! Male chauvinist pigs, all of them."_

_"Come on, Mina. Try to enjoy this concert, ok? Finals are over, and we finally have time to enjoy ourselves!" Mina groaned again._

_"Ok, fine. Let's go." The three girls stepped inside the concert hall._

* * *

><p><em>January 23, 6:45 PM<em>

_Backstage Hallway_

"Wow," Trucy gushed. "VIP tickets. VIP! Can you believe this Apollo? Everyone at school will be so jealous." Apollo rolled his eyes.

"So personally knowing the lead singer of the Gavinners wasn't enough?" Apollo replied sarcastically. Trucy pursed her lips.

"Well it _is_ kind of difficult to explain how the older brother of the lead singer of the Gavinners killed my real daddy and ruined my adoptive daddy's career…" Trucy mused. Apollo just stared blankly at her. _How on earth can she keep a straight face while saying that?_

"Why don't you tell them that you're actually good friends with him?" Apollo suggested.

"That's a great idea!" Trucy said cheerfully. "Thanks Apollo!"

"Hey, the concert's about to start," Apollo reminded her. "I'll wait outside, ok?" Trucy placed her hands on her hips and glared at him.

"Wow, Apollo, only you would take a freaking VIP ticket and waste it by waiting outside the concert hall," Trucy grumbled.

"I hate these concerts anyway," Apollo muttered. "Nothing against Gavin, though." _So far, he's the only performer I know who can still give a good performance after having his favorite guitar spontaneously combust._

"Fine, be a spoilsport," Trucy snapped. "I'll meet you during intermission, ok?"

"See you," Apollo said dismissively as he stepped outside.

* * *

><p><em>January 23, 7:26 PM<em>

_Sunshine Coliseum_

_Outside Concert Hall_

Apollo stood leaning against a wall, flipping through text messages in his cell phone. He was bored out of his mind. _Maybe I should have stayed inside with Trucy._ "Hey." A girl around his height with shoulder-length reddish-brown hair walked up to him. She crossed her arms and leaned against the wall. "Can't stand Gavin too?"

"No, Gavin's fine," Apollo replied. "I'm just not a fan of concerts."

"I hear you," the girl retorted. "Too loud… I'd rather _not_ feel like I'm going to go deaf any second." Apollo simply grunted in response. "I'm Mina."

"Apollo," he muttered in response. "Did your friends drag you here or something?" Mina scowled.

"Maddie said this would be _fun_," Mina grumbled. "She said she chose something we could _all_ enjoy. You'd _think_ you'd know what someone likes and doesn't like after knowing them since you were seven…"

"So you're here with other friends too?" Apollo asked.

"Yeah," Mina said. "Ruka's here too. Actually, she's the one that kind of forced me to come. Maddie just… guilt-tripped me. What about you?"

"I'm here with—" Apollo was cut out by the overwhelming cacophony of voices as hoards of people exited the concert hall.

"Oh, there they are now," Mina mumbled. "See you around, Apollo." Apollo waved awkwardly at her, but she was gone before he could say anything. Apollo sighed as he watched her leave with two other girls.

"Hi Apollo!" Something tugged at Apollo's arm, and he jerked his head to see what it was.

"Trucy!" he yelled.

"He's so cool!" Trucy gushed, sighing dreamily. "The way he just strums his guitar…" She sighed again, and Apollo rolled his eyes.

"Grow up," he said, jerking his arm away from her.

"So are you coming to watch the second half of the concert?" Trucy asked, her eyes wide. Apollo could suddenly hear Mina's voice above the crowd.

"Damn it, Ruka!" he heard her yell.

"Nope!" another voice, presumably Ruka, refuted. "Nuh-uh. You're not getting out of _this_ one." Apollo smirked lightly.

"Fine," he replied nonchalantly. "If that's what you want."

"Yay!" Trucy cheered as she began dragging Apollo by the arm back inside the concert hall.

* * *

><p><em>Thousands of voices squealed as Klavier strummed on his guitar. A single beam of white light shined down on Klavier, who had bent his head towards his guitar. His fingers moved swiftly, yet gently across the strings, and the light gleamed across his dark sunglasses as he slowly lifted his head. He leaned towards the microphone and softly sang the last bit of the song: "Dusting for fingerprints on my heart."<em>

* * *

><p><em>January 23, 8:08 PM<em>

_Backstage Hallway_

"Wow!" Trucy gushed. "That was amazing!"

"It was nothing special," Apollo muttered, rolling his eyes. "Same old Gavin." Trucy placed her hands on her hips and pouted.

"Come on!" she urged. "You must have felt _something_ when he sang that song. It was so sweet!" Apollo laughed.

"Sorry Trucy, but I don't swing that way," he told her. "That song's pure fanservice anyway."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Subliminal messaging," Apollo explained, waving his hand dismissively. "He just wrote that song to attract all the girls in the audience."

"Or maybe he was going after someone specific," Trucy guessed. "A special someone in law enforcement, maybe?" Apollo smirked, relishing the mental image of a flustered Klavier around a woman pointedly ignoring his affections. For some reason, that woman looked suspiciously like Ema.

"Maybe," Apollo acknowledged. Suddenly, a loud blaring noise echoed throughout the hall.

"Wh-What's going on?" Trucy yelled. "What do we do?"

"I don't know!" Apollo yelled back. They both covered their ears to block out the blaring noise, but failed. Klavier, who stepped out of his dressing room, ran towards them.

"Herr Forehead!" he yelled. "We need to evacuate this building now! There's been a murder!"

_Why is it that wherever I go, trouble follows? Or rather, wherever _Gavin_ goes, trouble follows. Still, it shouldn't have come as such a shock that there was a murder, considering my line of work. But I have a bad feeling about this…_

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

><p><em>Court Record:<em>

_Evidence_

_Attorney's Badge – No one would believe I was a defense attorney if I didn't carry this._

_Profiles_

_Trucy Wright, 16 years old – My assistant and my boss's daughter. A magician who recently inherited the great Magnifi Gramarye's trade._

_Phoenix Wright, 34 years old – My boss, a defense attorney who lost his badge after being accused of fabricating evidence. He recently regained his defense attorney's badge, but he has to watch five of my trials before he can officially practice again._

_Maya Fey, 27 years old – Mr. Wright's old assistant and the master of the Kurain Channeling Technique. She's been dropping by the Wright Anything Agency a lot ever since Mr. Wright got back his badge. _

_Pearl Fey, 17 years old – Maya's younger cousin and an old client of mine. Usually hangs out with Trucy and me whenever she visits the Agency. Like Maya, can also channel the dead._

_Ema Skye, 26 years old – An avid scientist turned detective who was formerly employed under prosecutor Klavier Gavin._

_Klarissa von Karma, 41 years old – A prosecutor who recently moved here from Germany after her sister was promoted to chief prosecutor. _

_Mina, 19 years old – A university student dragged to Gavin's concert by her two friends._

XX

**Ruka, Mina and Maddie are very loosely based off Ruka Minazuki, Misaki Asou and Madoka Tsukimori of Fatal Frame IV (which I DO NOT own). The names are even similar! Then again, characterization, unfortunately, was **_**not**_** one of Fatal Frame IV's strong points… Oh well. PLEASE REVIEW!**


	16. Songs for a New Turnabout: Part 1

_January 23, 8:15 PM_

_Sunshine Coliseum_

_Outside Concert Hall_

"What's going on?" Trucy fervently asked Klavier, who was yelling frantically into his cell phone. "Who died? Who's the suspect?"

"What do you mean you don't think the person arrested is the real killer?" Klavier yelled. "Why did you arrest her in the first place? Achtung!" After a few seconds, he covered his eyes with his hand. "Oh, I see. Well why did you listen to her Ema?" Apollo could hear yelling on the other line, but he couldn't understand exactly what she was saying. "I understand that she is your boss, and she will surely fire you if you refuse to obey her, but… Ja, Herr Forehead is here. Do you want to talk to him?" Klavier handed the phone to Apollo. "It's Ema," he whispered.

"Ema, what's going on?" Apollo asked.

"There's been a murder in the parking garage," Ema said quickly. "The victim is Maddie Thompson, a university student." _Maddie? That name sounds familiar._ "The suspect is Ruka Mills, her friend." _Wait a minute… Ruka… Maddie…_ Mina's face flashed in his mind. _They're Mina's friends._

"How did she die?" Apollo asked faintly.

"One mortal stab wound," Ema replied.

"And you don't think this Ruka person did it?" Apollo asked.

"No, I don't," Ema said indignantly, "or if she really _did_ do it, not intentionally. She's so shaken up. Just… Just come down to the Parking Garage. B Block." And with that, she hung up the phone. _What is it with murders in parking garages?_

* * *

><p><em>January 23, 8:19 PM<em>

_Parking Garage_

_B Block_

Apollo and Trucy ran towards Ema, who was scowling with her arms crossed. "Ema!" he yelled as he skidded to a halt. "Where—" A lump formed in Apollo's throat as he saw a girl with short brown hair crumpled on the ground, her white shirt stained red with blood, her brown eyes partially open and staring off into nothingness. Another girl with dark brown hair had collapsed off to the side. In one corner of the garage, Apollo could see Mina yelling at Klarissa von Karma. Apollo's eyes narrowed warily. _What's she doing here?_

"What do you mean Ruka did it?" Mina yelled. "I know Ruka, she wouldn't hurt a fly! She isn't _capable_ of murder!"

"All evidence points to her, I'm afraid," Klarissa replied nonchalantly.

"But Maddie's our best friend!" Mina insisted. "Why would Ruka—"

"Nn…" The girl lying unconscious, presumably Ruka, stirred and her eyes fluttered open. She stared up at everyone.

"Ruka!" Mina yelled as she flitted to her side. "Are you ok?"

"I…" Ruka mumbled. "I…" Klarissa knelt down in front of her.

"Ruka Mills, is it?" she asked. Mina helped Ruka stand up, and Ruka smoothed out her yellow dress.

"Y-Yes…" Ruka stammered, not quite looking at Klarissa.

"You are under arrest for the murder of Ms. Maddie Thompson," Klarissa said flatly. Ruka finally met her gaze, and her eyes widened in horror.

"You…" she whimpered. "You…"

"This is bull shit!" Mina yelled, slinging Ruka's hand around her shoulder and holding her waist to support her. "Why would Ruka—"

"You should know when to hold your tongue, Mina Asou," Klarissa snapped back. Mina glowered at her.

"You…" she growled.

"Quickly, Ema Skye," Klarissa commanded, snapping her fingers. "Time is of the essence."

"This is wrong," Ema refuted, frowning. "I don't think she did it."

"This is not up for discussion, Ema Skye," Klarissa said authoritatively, "now this will not reflect well on your next salary review." Ema simply glared at her, refusing to say anything else.

"Wait," Apollo said as he made his way to Ruka. "Ms. Mills, I would be happy to defend you in court, unless you had some other defense attorney in mind."

"Wait a minute, what are _you_ doing here?" Mina asked. She scrutinized Apollo's face, and realization suddenly dawned on her. "Wait a minute, you're not… You're not _Apollo Justice_, are you? The one who took down Kristoph Gavin?"

"The one and only!" Trucy replied proudly. A hint of a smile appeared on Mina's face.

"I'm glad at least someone here has a brain," she said as Ema handcuffed Ruka and pulled her away from her.

"Herr Forehead, we should investigate the crime scene while we still can," Klavier suggested.

"I'm in too," Mina announced promptly.

"Fräulein, that would not be the best idea," Klavier said soothingly. "You see, crime scenes aren't open to the general public." Mina glared at him.

"One of my best friends was just murdered and my other best friend was just arrested for her murder, and _you_ say I have no right to investigate the crime scene where all this happened?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. Klavier sighed.

"All right, Fräulein, you can investigate." Mina nodded.

"Thank you," she replied. Apollo made his way over to Maddie's body on the ground. _One knife wound to the chest, huh?_ Apollo knelt down and picked up the bloodstained switchblade knife lying next to her. _With this knife, I presume? For once, a nice, straightforward killing. But who would want to kill a college student?_ Apollo heard a clicking noise, and whirled around to see Mina taking a photo of Maddie's body.

"What do you think you're doing?" Apollo asked.

"Taking a picture," Mina replied nonchalantly. "Is that so wrong?"

"At a crime scene, yes," Apollo replied. "Best friend of the victim and primary suspect or no, you're still a part of the general public. Technically, you're not even supposed to be here." Mina's eyes narrowed slightly. "Sorry. I just don't want you getting into any sort of trouble because we let you stay." Mina sighed.

"Ok," she said reluctantly. "So no pictures?"

"No pictures," Apollo replied. He turned his attention back to the crime scene. _Switchblade Knife added to Court Record. _Right next to Maddie's body, on the ground, were three small red splotches. _That's strange…_ "Trucy, come here for a sec." Trucy skipped over to him and knelt down next to him.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Someone was just murdered here," Apollo told her. "Stabbed, if you will. Even if the victim was only stabbed once, don't you think there would be _more blood_?"

"You're right!" she gasped, covering her mouth with one hand.

"So why isn't there more blood?" Mina asked. Apollo simply shook his head.

"I don't know," he answered.

"Maybe someone wiped away the blood?" Trucy suggested.

"That's unlikely," Apollo refuted. "Mina was here when it happened, so she should have seen—"

"Actually, I _wasn't_ here," Mina interjected.

"What?" Trucy gasped.

"Ruka and Maddie left because they wanted to get something from the car," Mina explained. "They were gone for a really long time, so I came to check if they were on their way. When I got here, I found Maddie dead and Ruka passed out on the ground next to her." Her hands balled into fists. "You'll prove her innocent, won't you? I just know Ruka didn't do it!"

"I'm sorry, but there just isn't enough evidence to make a case," Apollo told her.

"Then all we have to do is wait for Ms. von Karma to slip up in _her_ case!" Trucy exclaimed. "Or wait for the witness to slip up in his testimony."

"But _there was no witness_," Mina refuted.

"Oh…" Trucy mumbled dejectedly.

"But I get what you're saying," Apollo said lightly. "It all stems from contradictions. We build our case on that."

"A very foolish method, if you ask me." Trucy jumped and whirled around, only to find Klarissa standing behind her. "Mina Asou, we ask that you come with us for questioning."

"But I didn't see anything," Mina retorted. Klarissa's mouth curved into a wry smile.

"Your testimony can help more than you think," she said. "Shall we go then?" Klarissa strode away, and Mina followed her reluctantly. She threw one last pleading look at Apollo before disappearing entirely.

"Poor Fräulein," Klavier lamented. "One of her best friends was just murdered, and the other was just arrested. Life simply is not fair."

"I'll say," Trucy agreed, sighing heavily. Apollo's eyes narrowed.

_There's something about this case that isn't right. What could prompt Ruka to suddenly turn on her best friend? Why isn't there more blood here, and where does Mina fit into all of this? Something tells me that this case will be the hardest one yet…_

* * *

><p><em>Court Record:<em>

_Evidence_

_Attorney's Badge – No one would believe I was a defense attorney if I didn't carry this._

_Profiles_

_Trucy Wright, 16 years old – My assistant and my boss's daughter. A magician who recently inherited the great Magnifi Gramarye's trade._

_Phoenix Wright, 34 years old – My boss, a defense attorney who lost his badge after being accused of fabricating evidence. He recently regained his defense attorney's badge, but he has to watch five of my trials before he can officially practice again._

_Maya Fey, 27 years old – Mr. Wright's old assistant and the master of the Kurain Channeling Technique. She's been dropping by the Wright Anything Agency a lot ever since Mr. Wright got back his badge. _

_Pearl Fey, 17 years old – Maya's younger cousin and an old client of mine. Usually hangs out with Trucy and me whenever she visits the Agency. Like Maya, can also channel the dead._

_Ema Skye, 26 years old – An avid scientist turned detective who was formerly employed under prosecutor Klavier Gavin._

_Klarissa von Karma, 41 years old – A prosecutor who recently moved here from Germany after her sister was promoted to chief prosecutor. _

_Klavier Gavin, 25 years old – A rock star turned prosecutor from Germany. Recently took a year-long vacation after convicting his best friend and his brother of murder to the first degree._

_Mina Asou, 19 years old – A university student dragged to Gavin's concert by her two friends._

_Maddie Thompson, 19 years old – A university student, and the victim in this case._

_Ruka Mills, 19 years old – A university student, and the prime suspect in this case._

XX

**I don't know why, but I'm really excited about this case. Maybe it's just that the victim, the client and the witness are all expies of the protagonists of Fatal Frame IV? Or maybe it's because this case will be the most depressing so far. PLEASE REVIEW!**


	17. Songs for a New Turnabout: Part 2

_January 24, 9:05 AM_

_Detention Center_

The brown-haired girl stood behind a single pane of glass. She looked utterly exhausted; her face was pale, and there were dark circles under her eyes. "Good morning!" Trucy greeted cheerfully. "You're Ruka Mills, right?"

"…" The girl remained silent, looking up briefly to meet Trucy and Apollo's gaze.

"So…" Apollo began awkwardly. "Do you think you could tell us what happened?" Ruka simply shook her head.

"Is that a no as in, 'no, I won't tell you' or 'no, I can't tell you'?" Trucy asked.

"Lay off, both of you." Ema walked up to them, glaring at them. "Seriously, how much more inconsiderate could you get?"

"Hi Ema!" Trucy greeted cheerfully. "What brings you here?"

"I'm helping you guys out," she announced. "I don't believe for even a second that she did it, and even if she did, it wasn't on purpose." She sat in the chair in front of the glass pane. "Luckily, I'm painfully aware of the situation she's in right now." She smiled warmly at Ruka. "Good morning, Miss Mills. I'm really sorry to bother you about this, but do you think you could tell me what happened last night?" Ruka raised her eyebrows as an expression of fear crossed her face. "It's ok, you don't have to tell me anything if you don't want to." Tears began to stream down Ruka's face. "It's ok," Ema said soothingly. "I understand. Believe me, I know exactly how you feel right now." Ruka dried her eyes and forced a smile. "Do you think you could tell me what happened? Remember Ruka, I'm on your side." Ruka opened and shut her mouth several times. Ema gave her a bitter smile. "I understand. You want to tell us, but you can't say anything. Do you think you could draw a picture instead?" Ruka smiled and nodded. "Guard!" Ema shouted. "Please bring a pen and a notepad for Ms. Mills over here."

"Y-Yes ma'am!" the guard stammered before leaving. He returned soon afterwards with what Ema requested. "Here you go, Miss."

"Thank you," Ruka mumbled quietly.

"So you _can_ talk!" Trucy said, smiling. Ruka smiled and nodded. Ema groaned and rolled her eyes.

"Do you realize how utterly tactless you are Trucy?" she asked.

"What do you mean?" Trucy replied innocently.

"Just let me deal with her, ok?" Ema said exasperatedly. "Ms. Mills, do you think you could draw what happened?" Ruka nodded and set to work. After a few minutes, she presented to Apollo, Trucy and Ema a sketch of a dark shadow attacking Maddie, and Ruka holding the switchblade knife.

"Who's that over there?" Apollo asked, pointing to the dark shadow. Ruka simply shrugged.

"Thank you, Ms. Mills," Ema said sincerely. "I'm sure this will help us." _Ruka's Sketch added to Court Record._ Ruka hung her head.

"I was just trying to save Maddie…" she whispered.

"Wh-What?" Trucy gasped. Ruka slowly broke into tears.

"I…" she choked. "I didn't mean to… Maddie… Maddie!" Her shoulders shook with sobs. "Please go away…" she whimpered. "Please…"

"All right, you two," Ema said, linking arms with both Apollo and Trucy as she dragged them out of the detention center. "Let's go."

* * *

><p><em>January 24, 9:32 AM<em>

_Wright Anything Agency_

"Now I'm even more confused…" Trucy mumbled.

"Tell me about it," Apollo agreed. "Just what was that all about?"

"Honestly, you two," Ema scolded, putting her hands on her hips and frowning. "You can't keep badgering her like that!"

"We weren't badgering her!" Trucy protested. "At least… we didn't _mean_ to." Ema sighed.

"I know," she conceded, "but even something so innocuous as a kind statement could completely break people in her situation."

"You seem to empathize with her a lot," Apollo observed.

"Well I should," Ema said. "I was in the same exact position when I was Trucy's age."

"What happened?" Trucy asked, her eyes widening.

"Corruption. Lots and lots of corruption in the police station and the prosecutor's office." Phoenix entered the office and plopped down on the couch next to Ema. "Hey Ema."

"Hi Mr. Wright," she greeted.

"So do you want to tell them, or do you want me to?" Phoenix asked, giving her a wry smile.

"I'll do it," Ema volunteered. "Have you guys heard about the Joe Darke killings?"

"No," Apollo and Trucy answered automatically.

"Well, basically, in a nutshell, Joe Darke was a serial killer who killed one guy, and then killed everyone else who witnessed that crime," Ema explained.

"So how do you come into all of this?" Apollo asked.

"I was a witness in his trial," Ema said nonchalantly. "My sister Lana was a detective at the time, and she was working with this man named Damon Gant to bring him down. Joe Darke was called into the prosecutor's office for questioning, but he escaped to my sister's shared office with Gant. I was waiting there for Lana, and he attacked me."

"Oh my gosh, were you ok?" Trucy asked. Ema smirked.

"Well obviously, or I wouldn't be here," she retorted. "Anyway, as I was saying, Darke attacked me. Then my sister's boyfriend's brother came to save me. There was a blackout, and I wanted to help Mr. Marshall, the guy who came to save me, so I tried to push Darke, but I accidentally pushed Mr. Marshall instead. Then we all passed out, and Gant killed Marshall and made it look like _I _did it. Then he helped Lana rearrange the crime scene _again_, and then Mr. Edgeworth got a guilty verdict for Darke with the forged evidence Gant and Lana gave him. Gant was promoted to the chief of police, and Lana was promoted to chief prosecutor after that. Gant used SL-9 to blackmail my sister after that." Ema's eyes averted to the floor. "My sister spent two years believing that I inadvertently killed someone…"

"I get it…" Trucy mumbled. "Ms. Mills is going through the same thing right now."

"Maybe she really did want to protect her friend and ended up killing her by mistake," Ema acknowledged. "We won't know until she tells us what happened."

"Well whatever it was, it was too painful for her to talk about it," Apollo said. Ema nodded gravely.

"Why don't we just investigate the crime scene for now?" Phoenix suggested. "Maybe we'll find something there."

* * *

><p><em>January 24, 10:03 AM<em>

_Parking Garage_

_B Block_

"So this is where it happened?" Phoenix asked as he stepped out of the driver's seat of his blue minivan. "That girl died here?" The parking garage looked the same, except there was now white tape outlining Maddie's body on the ground.

"Apparently," Apollo replied as he stepped outside.

"There wasn't _nearly_ enough blood, though," Trucy added.

"Speaking of which, Ema, do you have Luminol with you?" Apollo asked. Ema nodded and handed him the white spray bottle.

"Just spray where you think there should be blood," she reminded him. Apollo smirked as he set to work. _Ok_, he thought. _This white outline here on the ground is in the shape of the victim's body._ Apollo ran his fingers over the three small splotches of blood. _That means there should be traces of blood here._ He sprayed Luminol on the ground, but nothing changed. _Huh? There _has_ to be more blood. Why isn't there any more?_

"Is there a problem, Apollo?" Phoenix asked.

"There's no reaction," Apollo muttered. "The victim was _stabbed_. There should be more blood here than three drops." Phoenix knelt down next to Apollo.

"I see what you mean," he said. _Blood Stains added to Court Record. _He turned back to Trucy and Ema. "What do you guys think?"

"I don't think the crime occurred here at all, actually," Trucy said, crossing her arms. "Maybe Maddie Thompson was killed somewhere else and then her killer moved her body here?"

"If what Trucy is saying is true, then that pretty much guarantees that Ruka Mills did _not_ kill Maddie Thompson," Ema continued.

"But you're forgetting about that shadow in her drawing," Apollo pointed out. "There was someone or something else there with them last night. Now _what _it is…"

"What is the meaning of this?" Trucy shrieked and jumped as Apollo, Phoenix, and Ema whirled around. Klarissa von Karma was there, crossing her arms and glaring at them. "I thought defense attorneys were not permitted at crime scenes in this country."

"It's not that they're not allowed," Phoenix told her. "It's just that the prosecution doesn't like it."

"Well I most certainly do not, Mr. Phoenix Wright," Klarissa said, her eyebrows furrowing. "And Miss Ema Skye, why are you fraternizing with them?" Ema frowned and put her hand on her hip.

"Ms. von Karma, I'll say it again," she said. "I don't believe Ruka Mills murdered Maddie Thompson."

"That is not for you to decide," Klarissa said. "Come along now, Ema. As for you three, I believe our business is finished here."

"That's our cue to leave," Phoenix whispered to Apollo and Trucy.

* * *

><p><em>January 24, 10:24 AM<em>

_Wright Anything Agency_

"This is impossible!" Trucy exclaimed as she flopped onto the couch. "How can we prove Ms. Mills innocent if we can't even investigate the crime scene?"

"That's how it is for most defense attorneys, unfortunately," Phoenix told her. "I've just never been much of a stickler for the rules." His expression suddenly turned serious. "But we're not going to let that stop us. When one von Karma turns you down, you appeal to the other. That's my own personal motto that I just came up with two seconds ago."

"But there isn't any von Karma!" Trucy insisted. "Didn't you tell me that her dad was executed ten years ago?" Phoenix smirked.

"You're forgetting one very important, very influential von Karma, Trucy," he reminded her. "One who has _way_ more influence than Klarissa could ever hope of achieving."

"The chief prosecutor," Apollo guessed. Phoenix nodded.

"Correct," he affirmed.

"So what do we do?" Trucy ask.

"Ask her for permission to investigate the crime scene," Phoenix instructed. "Even though it's Klarissa's case, Franziska's orders still override hers. While you two do that, there's something I need to do."

"And that is?" Apollo prompted.

"Check the security cameras," Phoenix replied. "Those, I know for a fact, I'll be able to access. Good luck. Just try not to do anything to make Franziska mad."

* * *

><p><em>January 24, 10:46 AM<em>

_Chief Prosecutor's Office_

The chief prosecutor's office was large, much larger than Klavier's. _It's so… perfectly clean…_ A woman sat at the desk, her eyes focused on the documents in front of her. Her long hair was a pale shade of blue, and a pair of glasses was resting on her nose. "Um…" Trucy piped up. "Ms. von Karma?" The woman looked up at Apollo and Trucy.

"Apollo Justice and Trucy Wright, I presume?" she guessed.

"Y-Yeah…" Trucy mumbled. _Ok, never mind. I'll take the older von Karma any day._

"Did you need something from me?" Franziska asked. "I find it hard to believe that you would stop in for idle chatter, and I think your father can explain why."

"Wait, how do you know us?" Apollo asked, finally finding his voice again. The woman stood up from her desk and pushed her chair in.

"I've heard things," she said as she strode over to the large window behind her desk. "The story of how you took down the great Kristoph Gavin is a famous one around here, especially since his younger brother is one of our best prosecutors."

"And you knew Daddy," Trucy said. "Right?" The woman's expression turned cold.

"Yes, I knew him," she answered, "though it's been years since I've spoken to him."

"So you've faced him in court then?" Apollo asked.

"Multiple times," Franziska replied. "I've also heard that you defeated my sister in court."

"Yeah, about that…" Apollo drawled. "We're on another case, and she won't let us investigate the crime scene."

"Well that is perfectly understandable," she said. "Defense attorneys typically are not allowed at crime scenes."

"Y-Yeah," Trucy stammered, "but we really need to investigate! I'm positive our client didn't do it, and we can't prove—"

"As much as I would like to help you, I cannot," Franziska interrupted. "To simply give you access to the crime scene in question would be abuse of my authority." _Great. Just great. She can't help us. Who am I kidding? Ruka Mills is doomed._ Apollo sighed heavily.

"Can you at least help us with something else related to this case?" Apollo asked. Franziska's lips curved into a small smile.

"I can try," she said, "but please refrain from showing me anything trivial or unnecessary. _Do you have something, some bit of evidence, that may be crucial to your case, but you do not understand?_" Apollo pulled out Ruka's sketch.

"**TAKE THAT!** Our client, Ruka Mills, drew this for us just about an hour ago because she couldn't bring herself to talk about what happened last night." He pointed towards the girl holding the switchblade knife. "Right here is the defendant, Ruka Mills, and over here," he pointed at the other girl, "is the victim, Maddie Thompson."

"We're confused about this shadow here," Trucy said, pointing to the dark figure near Maddie. Franziska took the sketch and frowned at it for a few minutes. Then her eyes suddenly widened in shock as she gasped. "What?" Trucy asked. "What is it?" Franziska shook her head.

"I cannot say who or what this shadow is," she said. "I am not sure of it myself. But for now, I give you full access to the crime scene." She sat back at her desk and began furiously writing something on a notepad.

"Thanks!" Trucy said cheerfully. Franziska ripped off the sheet of paper and handed it to Apollo.

"Give this to my sister," she instructed. "It is a note giving you permission to investigate the crime scene. Do _not_ waste this opportunity." _Franziska's Note added to Court Record._

"Thank you, Ms. von Karma," Apollo said as he and Trucy headed toward the exit.

"Oh, and Mr. Justice?" Franziska called. "Do be careful when facing my sister. If you do not take care while in her presence, the effects could be… disastrous." Apollo nodded slowly.

"Ok…" he said awkwardly. "Thanks." _Just what was that all about? Oh well, it doesn't matter. I _have_ to investigate that parking garage. If I don't, then my client will surely be found guilty!_

* * *

><p><em>Court Record:<em>

_Evidence_

_Attorney's Badge – No one would believe I was a defense attorney if I didn't carry this._

_Switchblade Knife – The murder weapon. Carries traces of the victim's blood._

_Ruka's Sketch – A drawing by the defendant depicting a shadow attacking the victim and the defendant holding out a knife._

_Blood Stains – Three small splotches of blood found on the floor of Block B of the Parking Garage._

_Franziska's Note – A note written by the chief prosecutor that grants me access to the crime scene._

_Profiles_

_Trucy Wright, 16 years old – My assistant and my boss's daughter. A magician who recently inherited the great Magnifi Gramarye's trade._

_Phoenix Wright, 34 years old – My boss, a defense attorney who lost his badge after being accused of fabricating evidence. He recently regained his defense attorney's badge, but he has to watch five of my trials before he can officially practice again._

_Maya Fey, 27 years old – Mr. Wright's old assistant and the master of the Kurain Channeling Technique. She's been dropping by the Wright Anything Agency a lot ever since Mr. Wright got back his badge. _

_Pearl Fey, 17 years old – Maya's younger cousin and an old client of mine. Usually hangs out with Trucy and me whenever she visits the Agency. Like Maya, can also channel the dead._

_Ema Skye, 26 years old – An avid scientist turned detective who was formerly employed under prosecutor Klavier Gavin._

_Klarissa von Karma, 41 years old – A prosecutor who recently moved here from Germany after her sister was promoted to chief prosecutor. _

_Klavier Gavin, 25 years old – A rock star turned prosecutor from Germany. Recently took a year-long vacation after convicting his best friend and his brother of murder to the first degree._

_Mina Asou, 19 years old – A university student dragged to Gavin's concert by her two friends._

_Maddie Thompson, 19 years old – A university student, and the victim in this case._

_Ruka Mills, 19 years old – A university student, and the prime suspect in this case._

_Franziska von Karma, 27 years old – The chief prosecutor, and Klarissa's younger sister._

XX

**Aaaand Franziska finally makes an appearance! There will be more in the future, but she won't appear much in this case. Take note of the drastic character change. PLEASE REVIEW!**


	18. Songs for a New Turnabout: Part 3

**Woo I'm not dead! Anyway, sorry if you were expecting Ema to be the defendant. She **_**was**_** going to, originally, but… this idea popped up and it was way too good to pass up the opportunity. Anyway, enjoy!**

XX

_January 24, 10:42 AM_

_Parking Garage_

_Security Office_

_Maya and Pearl arrived shortly after Apollo and Trucy left. Apparently, the news of the murder at Klavier Gavin's concert spread like wildfire. Obviously, there isn't much we can do if we don't even have access to the crime scene. That's why I sent Apollo and Trucy to get permission… But there's something else everyone else is forgetting. If the murder really _did_ occur in the B block of the parking garage, then it had to have been caught on tape. I'm not terribly fond of using security videos as evidence, but it doesn't look we'll have much of a choice, especially since our last shot at getting access to the crime scene is Franziska von Karma, of all people._ "If the murder was caught on tape, then why didn't the security guard submit it as evidence?" Pearl asked. Phoenix drew to a halt at the doorway of the security office.

"Because the security guard is an idiot," he said simply.

"Hey, Nick!" A man with spiky brown hair stood up from the rotating chair at the security office and grinned at Phoenix. "You old dog, how've you been? Oh, and you brought Maya and little Pearls too!" _This is Larry Butz, an old friend of mine from grade school. He's an idiot, but he's loyal and trustworthy. About eight years ago, he tried to make it as an artist, and he adopted the name "Laurice Deauxnim," but I don't know if that really caught on._

"Hey Larry!" Maya greeted cheerfully. "So you're back on guard duty?"

"Yeah," Larry sighed. "I've been working here for awhile, actually. Apparently, the Gavinners, or at least the lead singer, is pretty generous with his money, so whenever he drops by, I get a bonus!"

"That's great, Larry," Maya said fleetingly. "Anyway, we were wondering, were you on duty last night?"

"Yup!" Larry replied cheerfully. "Why?"

"Oh, I don't know," Phoenix drawled sarcastically. "Maybe it had something to do with a murder?"

"Wh-WHAT?" Larry yelled. "A murder? When? What happened?"

"I don't know!" Maya yelled. "You were the one on guard duty, not me!"

"We weren't even _here_ yesterday…" Pearl mumbled. _Typical Larry. Back when we were in school together, there was a saying: "When something smells, it's usually the Butz." I never thought it would still ring true after all these years._

"Well I don't know what happened!" Larry yelled. "Maybe the murder happened after my shift."

"Larry," Phoenix said flatly. "Did you have any idea there was a murder at all?"

"N-No!" Larry stammered. "How would I know about something like that?" Just then, silver chains crossed over his chest, and a large red lock appeared. _A Psyche lock!_

"Did you see something Nick?" Maya asked, rubbing the back of her neck.

"Yeah," Phoenix replied.

"Don't tell me you forgot what they do, Mr. Nick," Pearl teased, giggling.

"O-Of course not!" Phoenix snapped back. "We don't have enough evidence to back ourselves up, so…"

"Whatever you say, Nick," Maya said, rolling her eyes.

"See you later, Mr. Deauxnim!" Pearl called as she pulled Phoenix and Maya out of the security office.

* * *

><p><em>January 24, 11:11 AM<em>

_Parking Garage_

_B Block_

_It's so quiet… Where is everyone?_ "Come on, Apollo!" Trucy urged. "We have to look for clues if we want to prove that Ms. Mills is innocent!"

"I thought I told you to leave, Mr. Apollo Justice." _Gack! Why did she have to sneak up on us like that?_ Klarissa stood behind them, frowning with her arms crossed. "Unless you have something important you absolutely must bring to my attention, I will have to force you to leave." Apollo pulled out Franziska's note.

"**TAKE THAT!**"

"W-We got permission from the chief prosecutor to investigate the crime scene, Ms. von Karma," Trucy stammered. Klarissa raised her eyebrows.

"From the chief prosecutor, you say?" she asked. "Let me see." Apollo handed her the note, and she frowned as she read it. "It seems that your case was so lackluster that you had to run to my little sister for permission to investigate this crime scene. Well, I cannot override my sister's orders, so investigate away." She handed the note back to Apollo and walked away.

"Well, it looks like we won't be needing this anymore," Apollo muttered. _Franziska's Note crumpled and discarded._

"Apollo…" Trucy mumbled. "Are you sure we're going to be able to find anything?"

"We won't know unless we look," Apollo replied sharply as he scanned the crime scene. _Now where were we? Oh yes, the lack of blood. Why is there so little blood, even with a Luminol test?_

"So you're back here. About time. I can't hide forever." Mina appeared from behind a white car.

"M-Mina!" Trucy gasped before frowning and putting her hands on her hips. "What are you doing here? You could get into serious trouble just by being here!"

"I know," she said calmly, "but I can't just sit by and do nothing."

"Well you should," Apollo snapped. Mina looked rather taken aback. "I understand that you want retribution for what happened to your best friend, but you have to understand that we can't just let you waltz into the crime scene like this." Mina frowned.

"This isn't about petty revenge, Mr. Justice," she said in an emotionless tone. "I need to know the truth. I know for a fact that Ruka didn't kill Maddie. She wouldn't."

"You've been saying that since yesterday," Trucy pointed out.

"I know it sounds rather… redundant," Mina admitted, "but you have to believe me."

"Well well, what have we here?" Klarissa returned, crossing her arms and smirking.

"If you won't let me near the crime scene, then at least let me testify in court tomorrow," Mina said, more to Klarissa than to Apollo and Trucy. Klarissa smirked.

"That can be arranged," she said. "Now, Mr. Apollo Justice, I need you to deliver this to the security guard who was supposed to be on duty last night." She handed him a white sheet of paper, and Apollo began reading it immediately. _This… she's firing him. Does she even have that kind of authority?_ "That is from the manager. He merely asked me to deliver it to Mr. Harry Butz." Apollo nodded. _Manager's Note added to Court Record._

"Ok," he agreed. "We'll get this to him."

"But why are you firing him?" Trucy asked.

"He carelessly erased all security videos taken yesterday," Klarissa replied, glaring. "Including the one of the murder." _Can't exactly blame the manager then._

"Right," Apollo said. "We'll give him this." Klarissa nodded and turned on her heel to leave. "Wait. Did you find anything… of value?" Klarissa turned her head and raised her eyebrows.

"At this crime scene?" she asked. Apollo nodded. "Nothing that concerns you."

"B-But—" Trucy protested.

"Really, Trucy Wright," Klarissa drawled, smirking. "You of all people should know not to expect such answers from the prosecutor of this case."

"I-I know…" Trucy mumbled.

"Let's go," Apollo whispered to her. "We can investigate later."

"Apollo! Trucy!" Phoenix, Maya and Pearl ran towards them. "Did you find anything?" Phoenix asked.

"This crime doesn't make any sense, Daddy!" Trucy complained. Phoenix sighed heavily.

"I know, Trucy…" he muttered.

"There's not enough blood for this place to even _be_ a crime scene," Apollo grumbled.

"Which is why I went to the security office while you were off getting permission to access the crime scene," Phoenix said.

"The security guard won't be of much help," Apollo pointed out. "Apparently he erased all the security videos from yesterday."

"Actually Ms. von Karma told us to deliver this letter to Mr. Harry Butz," Trucy said, handing the letter to Phoenix. Phoenix chuckled.

"You mean _Larry_ Butz?" he corrected. Trucy gasped and covered her mouth with one hand.

"You mean Uncle Larry's the security guard?" she asked.

"Was, considering the manager just fired him," Apollo muttered.

"I'll take this to him," Phoenix said. "You two just continue investigating."

"I'll stay here too," Pearl volunteered. _Really, what's there to investigate?_

* * *

><p><em>January 24, 11:30 AM<em>

_Parking Garage_

_Security Office_

"Hey Nick!" Larry greeted loudly as Phoenix and Maya entered the security office. "You're back!" Phoenix glanced over at Maya.

"The Magatama, Nick," she prompted. "Now." _I think being the master of the Kurain Channeling Technique made her a little pushy over the years…_ Phoenix took a deep breath and pulled out the glowing green charm, holding it out to Larry.

"**TAKE THAT!**" Just as before, the silver chains and red lock appeared over Larry's chest. Larry's face turned as white as a sheet.

"Now remember Nick," Maya reminded him, "just try to shatter that Psyche lock by pressing him and presenting evidence to refute his claims."

"I know, Maya," Phoenix said dully. "Now Larry, let's go back to our conversation from before."

"About what?" Larry asked innocently.

"You know what," Phoenix said in a serious voice. "The murder." Larry's eyes widened.

"Dude, Nick…" he drawled. "I seriously don't know what you're talking about."

"I think you do," Phoenix refuted. "You were on guard duty last night. You should have been the first one to know that something was wrong… But you _weren't_. And yet you know now."

"W-Well…" Larry stammered.

"Larry, I'll ask this only once," Phoenix said. "_Where were you the night of the murder?_"

"I was right here!" Larry insisted. "Just being a good ol' security guard, you know."

"No, I don't know," Phoenix refuted, "and you know you can't hide things from me."

"Wh-What do you mean, Nick?" Larry asked shakily.

"I think _this_ is why you don't want to say anything about the murder," Phoenix asserted. He pulled out the manager's note to Larry and presented it to him. "**TAKE THAT!** You were scared for your job, so you didn't want anyone to know what you were _really_ up to. Well Larry, the jig is up. It's time you explain everything." Larry crossed his arms.

"Geez, Nick, all you had to do was ask," Larry said nonchalantly as the Psyche lock shattered and the silver chains receded.

"Now explain to me what exactly happened last night," Phoenix ordered.

"My shift didn't start until seven forty-five last night," Larry explained.

"That's an odd time to start a shift…" Maya mused.

"I know, right?" Larry agreed. "Anyway, I got here at seven forty-five, like I always do, and around eight o'clock, there were all these sirens, and the cops came, and this really cute detective came and started investigating and screaming into her phone." _Ema…_ Phoenix thought.

"So it didn't occur to you at all that there'd been a murder?" Maya asked.

"I knew _something_ was wrong," Larry conceded. "I even checked the security videos. But the thing is… they were _gone_."

"Gone?" Phoenix repeated.

"Yeah," Larry replied. "The security camera's always running, day in and day out, and it's up to us to check the videos and delete the boring ones. But the thing is, all of yesterday's security videos were gone."

"Did someone delete them?" Maya asked.

"I don't know!" Larry yelled. "I just got there like I always did and checked the security videos, except they weren't there!" Phoenix rubbed is chin contemplatively. _So someone _did_ delete them…_ he thought. _But who?_

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking, Nick?" Maya asked.

"I believe so," Phoenix replied lightly.

"The real murderer _has_ to be the one to have deleted all those security videos!" Maya asserted. "They were probably just trying to cover up their tracks!"

"If we can find out who deleted those security videos, there's a good chance we can figure out who killed Maddie Thompson," Phoenix said.

"Wh-What's going to happen to me?" Larry whimpered. "I'm going to get fired for something I didn't even do! This is it, I'm going to die! Help me Nick!" He threw his arms around Phoenix, which earned him a glare.

"Larry, get _off_ me!" Phoenix yelled. "It'll be fine. We'll talk to the manager and explain what happened."

"But why didn't _you_ talk to him?" Maya asked. "Why couldn't you just explain what happened to him?"

"'Cause he'll fire me anyway!" Larry replied indignantly.

"Look, Larry," Phoenix said, sighing. "We'll figure something out. Just hang in there." Larry hugged Phoenix again.

"Thanks Nick!" he yelled. "You're the best!"

* * *

><p><em>January 24, 11:52 AM<em>

_Parking Garage_

_B Block_

_Who am I kidding?_ Apollo thought miserably as he sprayed the now half-empty bottle of Luminol on the ground. _This is hopeless. This case makes absolutely no sense!_ Pearl knelt down next to him. "Why don't you let me take over for now?" she suggested.

"No," Apollo refuted. "It's ok. We'll just—"

"Spray every nook and cranny of this place for potential bloodstains?" Ema finished, glaring at him. "That's my last bottle of Luminol, you know."

"Aren't you supposed to be interviewing Mina Asou now anyway?" Apollo asked, gritting his teeth in frustration. Ema turned her head to the side.

"von Karma wanted me out of it," she said flatly. "I don't know why. All I know is that Ruka Mills is doomed if we don't find any evidence."

"This crime scene's _way_ too clean," Trucy commented.

"What do you mean?" Ema asked.

"There are no bloodstains!" Trucy clarified, frowning and putting her hands on her hips. "Wasn't the victim _stabbed_? There should be _way_ more blood here, especially since the knife was definitely pulled _out_ of her body. Not to mention, Uncle Larry accidentally deleted all the videos, so we don't even know what happened!" Ema sighed heavily.

"I know," she conceded. She pulled out her bag of Snackoos and began to munch on them absentmindedly.

"Do you think Ms. von Karma found anything?" Trucy asked.

"She didn't really say whether she found anything or not," Apollo reminded her.

"We didn't find anything," Ema told them in between munches. "It's like you said, Trucy: this crime scene is just way too clean."

"Apollo, Trucy, Ema, Pearls!" Phoenix and Maya ran towards them, waving their hands above their heads. "You won't believe what happened!" Maya yelled.

"Larry wasn't the one who deleted all the security videos," Phoenix said breathlessly.

"What do you mean?" Ema asked.

"Someone came and deleted all of yesterday's security videos before Larry even _got_ there!" Maya told her.

"Do you think…" Pearl began slowly.

"The real murderer _definitely_ did it!" Trucy asserted. "They probably just wanted to cover up their tracks!"

"Exactly!" Maya agreed. "So did you guys find anything here?"

"Only that this crime scene is way too clean to be a crime scene in the first place," Ema grumbled.

"There's only a little blood over there," Pearl said, pointing to the glowing blue spots on the ground. _Wait a minute…_ Apollo thought. _No one said that blood there was the _victim's_ blood._

"Ema!" Apollo yelled, jumping up suddenly. "Are you absolutely, positively sure the blood found there belongs to the victim?"

"U-Um…" Ema stammered. "I would assume so." Apollo shook his head.

"That's not good enough," he refuted. "I need to know for sure."

"What are you saying?" Ema whispered.

"That the blood may not necessarily belong to the victim," Phoenix said quietly.

"But what does that _prove_?" Ema asked.

"That the B block of the parking garage…" Apollo began, "_may not even be the crime scene at all_."

"Isn't that exactly what we've been saying for the past hour?" Trucy asked.

"But the bloodstains prove it," Pearl refuted. "If they don't belong to the victim—"

"Then they're either completely irrelevant of belong to the real culprit," Phoenix finished, "both of which indicate that the B block of the parking garage is definitely _not_ the real scene of the crime. So it all depends on you, Ema. You need to get those bloodstains tested."

"That's the only way we'll be able to get anywhere in tomorrow's trial!" Maya added. Ema frowned determinedly and nodded.

"All right," she agreed. _I'm going out on a limb, but this could definitely prove to our advantage. But this case is still so hazy and unclear… If Maddie Thompson wasn't murdered in the B block of the parking garage, then where was she murdered, and by who? …and _why_?_

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

><p><em>Court Record:<em>

_Evidence_

_Attorney's Badge – No one would believe I was a defense attorney if I didn't carry this._

_Switchblade Knife – The murder weapon. Carries traces of the victim's blood._

_Ruka's Sketch – A drawing by the defendant depicting a shadow attacking the victim and the defendant holding out a knife._

_Blood Stains – Three small splotches of blood found on the floor of Block B of the Parking Garage._

_Manager's Note – A note written by the manager firing Larry Butz for deleting all the security videos taken the day of the crime._

_Profiles_

_Trucy Wright, 16 years old – My assistant and my boss's daughter. A magician who recently inherited the great Magnifi Gramarye's trade._

_Phoenix Wright, 34 years old – My boss, a defense attorney who lost his badge after being accused of fabricating evidence. He recently regained his defense attorney's badge, but he has to watch five of my trials before he can officially practice again._

_Maya Fey, 27 years old – Mr. Wright's old assistant and the master of the Kurain Channeling Technique. She's been dropping by the Wright Anything Agency a lot ever since Mr. Wright got back his badge. _

_Pearl Fey, 17 years old – Maya's younger cousin and an old client of mine. Usually hangs out with Trucy and me whenever she visits the Agency. Like Maya, can also channel the dead._

_Ema Skye, 26 years old – An avid scientist turned detective who was formerly employed under prosecutor Klavier Gavin._

_Klarissa von Karma, 41 years old – A prosecutor who recently moved here from Germany after her sister was promoted to chief prosecutor. _

_Klavier Gavin, 25 years old – A rock star turned prosecutor from Germany. Recently took a year-long vacation after convicting his best friend and his brother of murder to the first degree._

_Mina Asou, 19 years old – A university student dragged to Gavin's concert by her two friends._

_Maddie Thompson, 19 years old – A university student, and the victim in this case._

_Ruka Mills, 19 years old – A university student, and the prime suspect in this case._

_Franziska von Karma, 27 years old – The chief prosecutor, and Klarissa's younger sister._

_Larry Butz, 33 years old – Mr. Wright's old friend and the security guard who was on duty the night of the murder._

XX

**Confusing, isn't it? I'm kind of confused myself. Anyway, PLEASE REVIEW!**


	19. Songs for a New Turnabout: Part 4

_January 25, 9:52 AM_

_District Court_

_Defendant Lobby No. 1_

_Palms sweating…_ Apollo thought miserably. _Eyesight… fading… I'm screwed! How the hell am I supposed to defend someone when there's barely any evidence for or against her?_ Ruka Mills stood awkwardly in front of him. Her short brown hair was neatly combed, and she was now wearing a simple yellow dress, as opposed to the bright orange garb from the detention center. "So…" Apollo began awkwardly. "How are you doing? Are you nervous?" She simply stared at him with wide eyes, not even bothering to answer. _Okay… next question._ "Are you hungry?" Ruka frowned in confusion.

"What?" she said in a small voice.

"Um…" Apollo mumbled awkwardly, pulling his spiky hair back with one hand and smiling sheepishly. "Never mind." He turned towards the door, and Pearl stepped into the defendant lobby. Only… "Pearl?" Apollo whispered. Pearl was completely different. She had grown several inches taller, and her face was slightly rounder. _Wait… she's channeling someone._

"Good morning, Apollo," the woman Pearl was channeling greeted pleasantly.

"Um…" Apollo said slowly. "Who are you again?" She frowned slightly.

"Now Apollo, is that any way to greet your mentor's mentor?" she asked disapprovingly. "I'm practically your grandmother!"

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves, Mia," Phoenix said as he entered the defendant lobby. "Are you ready Apollo?"

"What do you think?" Apollo shot back.

"I'll be helping you today," Mia said. "Phoenix told me everything. Your chances of winning this trial are slim. It has nothing to do with your abilities as a defense attorney; there's just not enough information."

"This case has too many holes," Phoenix clarified. "We don't know if that blood found at the crime scene belonged to the victim. Either way, it's clear that the crime didn't take place in the B block of the parking garage."

"But _where_ did it happen?" Apollo asked.

"That's what we're hoping to find out in today's trial," Mia replied.

"I should warn you about one other thing," Phoenix said. "Remember the jurist system?"

"Yeah, what about it?" Apollo asked.

"It's back, and it's here to stay this time," Phoenix answered. "This should make things a little easier. Get Ruka on the jury's good side, and victory is ours."

"Still, you're going to need all the help you can get," Mia continued. "So are you ready Apollo?" _This is it. I'm going to die._

* * *

><p><em>January 25, 10:00 AM<em>

_District Court_

_Courtroom No. 2_

The judge banged down his gavel. "Court is now in session for the trial of Miss Ruka Mills," he announced.

"The defense is ready, Your Honor," Apollo said. There was silence from the prosecution's side. Klarissa von Karma simply smirked and wagged her finger.

"Um…" the judge mumbled awkwardly. "Ms. von Karma?"

"Hm?" Klarissa piped up. "Oh nothing, Your Honor. The prosecution is ready."

"Will the prosecution give its opening statement?" the judge asked. Klarissa nodded.

"Certainly, Your Honor," she answered. "Two days ago, at Mr. Klavier Gavin's concert, a university student by the name of Maddie Thompson was murdered in the B block of the parking garage at the Sunshine Coliseum. Cause of death was one stab wound to the chest, and the prime suspect is the victim's friend Ruka Mills, as her fingerprints were found on the murder weapon." She snapped her fingers. "Now the prosecution would like to call the head detective of this case, Miss Ema Skye, to the witness stand." A bailiff escorted Ema to the witness stand. "Miss Skye, please testify about your findings."

"All right," Ema answered simply. _What?_ Apollo thought. _No fighting? No sarcastic comments? They're getting along unusually well…_

"And…" Klarissa added. "Do try to keep all… _personal_ feelings out of your testimony." Ema frowned.

"What do you take me for anyway?" she retorted. _I spoke too soon._

"I'm sorry, Ema," Mia said from the defense's bench. "I understand how strongly you feel about this case. Believe me, I do. Your sister lost her livelihood because of similar case, correct?" Ema flinched and turned her head to the side, muttering something under her breath. "What was that, Ema?"

"SL-9 has nothing to do with this case," Ema whispered. "You don't even need scientific proof to see that. And yes, I _will_ keep all personal feelings out of my testimony."

* * *

><p><em><span>Witness Testimony: What happened the night of the concert<span>_

_That was a huge day for Klavier. It _was_ his first concert here in the States without his band, after all._

_He personally requested that I be there at the concert. He even gave me a VIP backstage pass._

_After the concert, I went back to my car because I forgot something there._

_I found Maddie lying on the ground with blood pouring out of a wound in her chest and Ruka collapsed off to the side._

_I called Klavier immediately and told him what happened. Then I called for backup._

_About a minute later, Mina showed up and started yelling at me for an explanation._

* * *

><p>"So you witnessed this crime?" the judge asked. Ema began playing with a strand of her hair.<p>

"Not really," she said. "I didn't see the exact moment Maddie was stabbed, but I _did_ find her body." The judge nodded.

"Very well," he said. "The defense may proceed with the cross-examination."

* * *

><p><em><span>Cross-Examination<span>_

_That was a huge day for Klavier. It _was_ his first concert here in the States without his band, after all._

**HOLD IT!**

"It was… his first concert?" Apollo repeated.

"Without his band," Ema clarified.

"Hasn't he performed a million times before?" Apollo asked.

"Yeah, well this was the first time without his band," Ema refuted.

"Why didn't he include his band?" Apollo asked.

"He disbanded it, remember?" Ema asked rhetorically. "After Daryan Crescend was arrested."

"**OBJECTION!**" Klarissa yelled. "The prosecution fails to see how this is relevant to the issue at hand."

"You're right," Ema agreed. "It's not. Anyway…"

* * *

><p><em>He personally requested that I be there at the concert. He even gave me a VIP backstage pass.<em>

**HOLD IT!**

"Why did he specifically request you?" Apollo asked. Ema blushed slightly.

"I-I don't know…" she said quickly. "Moral support? Maybe I'm the only one he trusts with this kind of thing? How exactly is this relevant again?"

"Never mind," Apollo said, shaking his head. _Wow, when did Ema and Gavin get so close?_

* * *

><p><em>After the concert, I went back to my car because I forgot something there.<em>

**HOLD IT!**

"What did you forget in your car?" Apollo asked.

"A case file," Ema replied. "It was for a case that was closed awhile back. Klavier just wanted to see it."

"Again, completely irrelevant," Klarissa said.

"So as I was going to my car…" Ema continued.

* * *

><p><em>I found Maddie lying on the ground with blood pouring out of a wound in her chest and Ruka collapsed off to the side.<em>

**HOLD IT!**

Apollo pressed his finger to his forehead. "And she died from _one_ stab wound to the chest?" he asked.

"That's correct," Ema replied. "Here's the autopsy report." She held a manila envelope out towards Apollo.

"Hmm…" the judge mused. "I see! The court accepts this into evidence!" _Maddie's Autopsy Report added to Court Record._ "I see! So the defendant, Ruka Mills, murdered the defendant, Maddie Thompson—"

"Her best friend and college roommate, I might add," Ema interjected.

"Because…" the judge continued. "Because… Why would she want to murder her roommate?"

"Perhaps the defendant's boyfriend cheated on her with the victim?" Klarissa suggested. "Or maybe the victim took all the credit for an assignment away from the defendant? There are many possible explanations."

"**OBJECTION!**" Apollo yelled immediately. "That's all just speculation! If you can't establish a clear motive, then—"

"I have no need to, Mr. Apollo Justice," Klarissa said simply, wagging her finger at him.

"The jurist system," Mia explained. "It's the jury we need to convince, not the judge. In a way, it's like a double-edged sword. We don't need decisive evidence to prove our point, but neither does the prosecution."

"Very well," the judge said. "The prosecution may call its next witness."

"The prosecution would like to call someone who specially requested to testify," Klarissa announced. "The third member of the trio at the center of this case…" She snapped her fingers. "Mina Asou!" The judge banged his gavel.

"Bailiff, please escort Miss Asou into the courtroom," he ordered. After a few minutes, Mina stood at the witness stand. Her dark hair was combed neatly, and she now wore a flowing white shirt with a black skirt.

"Witness, please state your name and occupation," Klarissa said.

"Mina Asou," Mina said automatically. "I'm a photo major at Ivy U."

"Ah," Phoenix sighed. "My alma mater."

"Now's not the time to get all sentimental!" Apollo snapped.

"Ruka's innocent," Mina said sharply. "I know her, she wouldn't hurt a fly."

"You are not here to give us your opinion, witness," Klarissa retorted, snapping her fingers. "Now testify about what you saw!"

* * *

><p><em><span>Witness Testimony: What I saw after the concert<span>_

_Our midterms just got over, so Ruka, Maddie and I decided to go out to celebrate._

_They dragged me to Gavin's concert, but I waited outside._

_After the concert, they went to the car because Maddie left her phone there._

_They didn't return after awhile, so I went to look for them._

_When I got to the B block of the parking garage, I saw Maddie lying on the ground, bleeding to death with a bloody knife lying nearby._

_Ruka was lying unconscious just a little ways away._

* * *

><p>"So basically, in a nutshell, you didn't see anything," Apollo said.<p>

"I found the body!" Mina snapped. "Isn't that good enough for me to testify?"

"I wasn't doubting your testimony," Apollo said. "It actually sounds… pretty solid." Mina's fierce expression softened.

"Huh," she sighed. "Thanks."

"Mr. Justice, you may proceed with your cross-examination," the judge said.

* * *

><p><em><span>Cross-Examination<span>_

_Our midterms just got over, so Ruka, Maddie and I decided to go out to celebrate._

_They dragged me to Gavin's concert, but I waited outside._

**HOLD IT!**

"Why weren't you inside watching the concert?" Apollo asked.

"Why weren't you?" Mina retorted. Apollo hung his head slightly.

"That's not the point…" he grumbled.

"I just don't like concerts," Mina explained. "So anyway…"

* * *

><p><em>After the concert, they went to the car because Maddie left her phone there.<em>

**HOLD IT!**

"And what time would you say this was?" Apollo asked. Mina rubbed her chin.

"I'd say…" she mused. "7:45."

"Are you absolutely sure about this?" Apollo asked, slamming his fists down on the table. Mina nodded confidently.

"Yeah, I'm sure," she answered.

"Something up Apollo?" Phoenix asked.

"Her time corresponds to mine," Apollo explained. "I heard about the murder just a little after eight o'clock."

"Well it's good to hear this testimony isn't full of gaping holes or contradictions," Phoenix said. "This could work well to our advantage."

* * *

><p><em>They didn't return after awhile, so I went to look for them.<em>

_When I got to the B block of the parking garage, I saw Maddie lying on the ground, bleeding to death with a bloody knife lying nearby._

**HOLD IT!**

"Did you happen to run in to Detective Skye there?" Apollo asked.

"Yeah, she was already there when I arrived," Mina replied. "She just told me to stay calm and not panic when she saw me." The judge nodded solemnly.

"It must have been horrible for you to see something like this," the judge said consolingly. Mina crossed her arms and frowned.

"Well it doesn't matter how _I_ feel about it," she snapped. "The point is that Ruka's innocent. Isn't that all that matters?"

"Finally, a nice, normal, down-to-earth witness," Mia sighed.

* * *

><p><em>Ruka was lying unconscious just a little ways away.<em>

**HOLD IT!**

"Did you see her pass out?" Apollo asked pressing his finger to his forehead.

"No, I didn't," Mina replied. "She was already unconscious when I got there."

"And did you see the victim die?" Apollo asked.

"No, Maddie was already dead," Mina clarified, frowning.

"Your Honor, the defense would like to request another day to investigate the crime scene," Apollo said.

"**OBJECTION!**" Klarissa shouted. "The defense is just grasping for more time!" The judge nodded.

"Objection sustained," he said. "Mr. Justice, do try to do your homework _before_ the trial next time." Apollo glared at Klarissa. _This is bad. How can I defend someone when the circumstances surrounding the murder are so vague?_

"**HOLD IT!**" Mina yelled. "Mr. Justice, I managed to take some pictures of the crime scene before you told me to stop."

"Y-You did?" Apollo stammered.

"And why was I not aware of this?" Klarissa growled. Mina frowned at her.

"Do you honestly think I'm going to trust the person who's trying to get my best friend convicted of murder?" she asked. "I don't think so." She handed Apollo two photographs. In one, Maddie was lying crumpled on the ground, a large red stain spread across her white shirt and a few drops of blood on the ground next to her.

"Miss Asou, do you realize that what you did is strictly prohibited?" Klarissa asked.

"I'll face the consequences," Mina said determinedly. "Whatever it takes to save Ruka."

"My, what a brave, resourceful girl you are!" the judge gasped.

"I took this photograph as soon as I found Maddie's body," Mina explained. "That detective tried to stop me, but I didn't listen. I know what I did was illegal, and I don't regret it."

"I see," the judge said, nodding. "The court accepts this into evidence." _Crime Scene Photo #1 added to Court Record._ Apollo took a look at the second photograph, which showed Ruka lying slumped against a wall, her eyes closed, with blood on her hands.

"I took the second photograph around the same time," Mina said. "I thought both of these would come in handy in the investigation… for the defense, of course."

"The court accepts this into evidence," the judge announced. _Crime Scene Photo #2 added to Court Record._

"**OBJECTION!**" Klarissa yelled. "This is outrageous! This witness committed perjury!"

"No I didn't," Mina refuted. "Doesn't the witness have to promise to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth? Well that's what I just did. I didn't lie on the witness stand. What I said to you yesterday doesn't matter, von Karma." The spectators in the gallery broke into chatter, and the judge banged his gavel.

"Order!" he shouted. "Order! Order in the court! Miss Asou, your intentions are noble, but I will have to ask you to show the prosecution some respect, or I will hold you in contempt of court!"

"Hmph," Mina grunted. "It's as I said before: I'll do whatever it takes to save Ruka."

"That's very nice of you, Miss Asou," Phoenix said, "but it'll be a lot more trouble than it's worth if you end up in detention for something so silly." Mina sighed and nodded.

"I understand," she said. Apollo continued to stare at the two photographs, and then something hit him. _Wait a minute!_ he thought. _So I was right all along!_

"If the defense as no objections, then the witness may step down," the judge said.

"**OBJECTION!**" Apollo yelled. "O-B-J-E-C-T-I-O-N!"

"No need to shout, Apollo," Phoenix reminded him.

"Mr. Justice!" the judge yelled. "What is the meaning of this?"

"There's a major _contradiction_ in one of these photographs!" Apollo yelled.

"Then tell us what the contradiction is and the photograph in which it is located," Klarissa said, snapping her fingers. Apollo crossed his arms and smirked.

"Oh, I will," he said. "The picture with the contradiction is…" He held up the first crime scene photo. "**TAKE THAT!** And the contradiction is…" He pointed to the few splotches of blood near Maddie's body. "**TAKE THAT!** Don't you think there would be a lot more blood if someone was, say, _stabbed to death?_"

"The witness must have taken this photograph shortly after the victim was stabbed," Klarissa said simply.

"Well that contradicts the witness's testimony!" Apollo shouted, slamming his fists down on the table and leaning forward. "_The victim was already dead when she arrived!_"

"Gah!" Klarissa shrieked. Apollo smirked triumphantly. _Gotcha!_ Klarissa, however, was quick to compose herself. "Your precious contradiction is meaningless if you cannot find what it implies."

"This is what the defense proposes," Apollo said. "The murder, in fact, _did not_ take place in the B block of the parking garage. As to _where_ the real crime scene is… The defense needs another day of investigation to find out."

"Wait, Apollo," Mia interjected. "There are eight blocks to that parking garage, and each block can hold around sixty cars. Looking for a crime scene in that parking garage will be like looking for a needle in a haystack."

"But we can't just give up!" Apollo protested. The judge nodded.

"Very well," he said. "I will grant the defense one more day to investigate as requested. Court is adjourned." He slammed down his gavel, and then…

"**HOLD IT!**" Apollo broke out into a cold sweat. _No! Don't interrupt the judge! Just let him adjourn the court, please!_ A woman stood at the witness stand, a basket of pink boxes in her hand. She jerked her head to flip her sandy brown bangs out of her face. "Is this the trial concerning the murder that took place in the parking garage of the Sunshine Coliseum?"

"Great," Phoenix groaned. "As if our case could get any worse."

"Yes," the judge answered. The woman reached into her basket and pulled out a pink box filled with a strange purple spotted substance.

"You ordered the caviar special?" she asked pleasantly, holding the box out to the judge.

"Oh, thank you!" the judge gushed as he snatched the box and dug into it. "Hmm… I always thought that caviar tasted like pickled tapioca."

"What the hell the pickled tapioca taste like?" Apollo asked rhetorically.

"Don't question the logic, Apollo," Phoenix said simply.

"Have we met before, Miss…?" the judge asked in between mouthfuls.

"Cough-up Queen Angel Starr, at your service," the woman introduced. "I believe I witnessed something related to this case, and I am here to deliver a flawless testimony."

"O-Of course!" the judge said.

"Then the prosecution would like to request a recess to interrogate the witness," Klarissa said simply. Phoenix sniggered.

"I would pay to see those two in the same room together," he said.

"That's not funny, Phoenix," Mia reprimanded.

"Very well," the judge said, nodding. "Court will adjourn for a thirty minute recess." He banged down his gavel.

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

><p><em>Court Record:<em>

_Evidence_

_Attorney's Badge – No one would believe I was a defense attorney if I didn't carry this._

_Switchblade Knife – The murder weapon. Carries traces of the victim's blood._

_Ruka's Sketch – A drawing by the defendant depicting a shadow attacking the victim and the defendant holding out a knife._

_Blood Stains – Three small splotches of blood found on the floor of Block B of the Parking Garage._

_Manager's Note – A note written by the manager firing Larry Butz for deleting all the security videos taken the day of the crime._

_Maddie's Autopsy Report – Estimated time of death: January 23, 8:02 PM. Cause of death: loss of blood from one stab wound to the chest._

_Crime Scene Photo #1 – Depicts the victim lying dead on the ground of the parking garage._

_Crime Scene Photo #2 – Depicts the defendant lying unconscious near the crime scene._

_Profiles_

_Trucy Wright, 16 years old – My assistant and my boss's daughter. A magician who recently inherited the great Magnifi Gramarye's trade._

_Phoenix Wright, 34 years old – My boss, a defense attorney who lost his badge after being accused of fabricating evidence. He recently regained his defense attorney's badge, but he has to watch five of my trials before he can officially practice again._

_Maya Fey, 27 years old – Mr. Wright's old assistant and the master of the Kurain Channeling Technique. She's been dropping by the Wright Anything Agency a lot ever since Mr. Wright got back his badge. _

_Pearl Fey, 17 years old – Maya's younger cousin and an old client of mine. Usually hangs out with Trucy and me whenever she visits the Agency. Like Maya, can also channel the dead._

_Ema Skye, 26 years old – An avid scientist turned detective who was formerly employed under prosecutor Klavier Gavin._

_Klarissa von Karma, 41 years old – A prosecutor who recently moved here from Germany after her sister was promoted to chief prosecutor. _

_Klavier Gavin, 25 years old – A rock star turned prosecutor from Germany. Recently took a year-long vacation after convicting his best friend and his brother of murder to the first degree._

_Mina Asou, 19 years old – A university student dragged to Gavin's concert by her two friends._

_Maddie Thompson, 19 years old – A university student, and the victim in this case._

_Ruka Mills, 19 years old – A university student, and the prime suspect in this case._

_Franziska von Karma, 27 years old – The chief prosecutor, and Klarissa's younger sister._

_Larry Butz, 33 years old – Mr. Wright's old friend and the security guard who was on duty the night of the murder._

_Angel Starr, 41 years old – A woman known as the "Cough-up Queen" who claims to have seen something related to the case on the day of the murder._

XX

**Things are getting interesting… and a little clearer, hopefully. Anyway, have any of you played Turnabout Substitution? It's essentially the "Rise from the Ashes" of Apollo Justice… fanmade, of course. It's AMAZING, and it's way better than any of the cases I've come up with so far. So how can I sum it up in eight words or less? … NOOOOOOOOO UDGEEEYYYY!**

**Anyway, PLEASE REVIEW!**


	20. Songs for a New Turnabout: Part 5

_January 25, 10:40 AM_

_District Court_

_Defendant Lobby No. 1_

Pearl was back the minute Apollo and Phoenix entered the defendant lobby. "Apollo?" she said frantically. "What happened? Is the trial over? Is the defendant guilty? What happened?"

"Don't worry, Pearls," Phoenix said gently. "Things are going surprisingly well."

"We've established that the B block of the parking garage _isn't_ the crime scene," Apollo told Pearl. "As to where the real crime scene is… we have no idea. And then a new witness showed up."

"A new witness?" Pearl repeated. "Who?"

"Cough-up Queen, Angel Starr, at your service." The woman stood there and held out a pink box to Pearl. "Can I interest you in the Marshmallow Surprise? It's light as a cloud and sweet as candy corn." Pearl's eyes widened.

"U-Um…" she stammered. "No thank you." Ema then entered the defendant lobby.

"Hey, Ms. Starr!" she greeted cheerfully.

"Well well, if it isn't little Miss Skye," Angel said, causing Ema to giggle.

"It's great to see you too, Ms. Starr," she said pleasantly. "Are you still selling lunches? I thought you became a homicide detective again."

"Lunchland brings in some extra cash," Angel said simply. "Besides, you know Jake. Just can't keep his hands off Lunchland steak. How is he, by the way?"

"Oh, did you know he and Lana moved—" Ema began excitedly.

"People, please!" Apollo yelled. "This is a murder trial!" Angel promptly reached into her basket and pulled out yet another pink box with strange brown swirls.

"You ordered the squid wheels?" she asked pleasantly.

"No I didn't!" Apollo hissed.

"You really should be more considerate, Mr. Justice," Angel advised. "My testimony…" She flipped her bangs out of her eyes. "…will certainly help your case."

"R-Really?" Apollo stammered, not quite sure what to make of the situation.

"You were about to prove that the crime didn't take place at the B block of the parking garage, correct?" she asked.

"U-Um…" Apollo mumbled. "Yeah, but I have no clue where the real crime scene is."

"Then my testimony will certainly help you," Angel said. "It is flawless, after all."

* * *

><p><em>January 25, 11:00 AM<em>

_District Court_

_Courtroom No. 2_

The judge banged down his gavel. "Court will now reconvene for the trial of Miss Ruka Mills," he announced. "Before the recess, a new witness arrived and requested to testify about something she believes is relevant to this case. Ms. von Karma, if you will…" Klarissa scowled.

"The prosecution would like to call Ms. Angel Starr to the witness stand," she muttered through gritted teeth. Angel made her way over to the witness stand and stood there confidently. "Witness, state your name and profession."

"Angel Starr," Angel said simply. "I'm a homicide detective, but I work for Lunchland on the side."

"And when you came to the crime scene on the night of the murder, were you there as a detective or a lunch lady?" Klarissa asked.

"I was there for Lunchland," Angel replied. "Now be prepared for a flawless testimony."

* * *

><p><em><span>Witness Testimony: What I Saw<span>_

_I'll have you know I was nowhere near the B block of the parking garage that day._

_Lunchland was asked to cater for the concert by Mr. Klavier Gavin himself._

_I was unloading boxes from my car when I sensed something. Perhaps it was my finely-tuned detective instincts at work?_

_I waited in the shadows and saw the figure of a woman hauling something through the parking garage._

_Upon closer inspection, I noticed it was two dead bodies._

* * *

><p>"That doesn't help us at all!" Apollo complained.<p>

"Are you saying that Ruka Mills murdered Maddie Thompson in another area of the parking garage and dragged the body to the B block?" Phoenix asked. "Why go through all that trouble, especially if she's being incriminated for the very same crime?"

"I think there's more to this testimony than what meets the eye," Pearl mused.

* * *

><p><em><span>Cross Examination<span>_

_I'll have you know I was nowhere near the B block of the parking garage that day._

**HOLD IT!**

"Then where were you?" Apollo asked promptly.

"I was in the _A block_," Angel replied simply. "Let me show you on this map here." She pulled out a folded sheet of paper. "As you can see, there are six blocks to the parking garage. Different blocks are on different floors entirely, and the B block is…"

"One floor _above_ the A block," Phoenix finished.

"I see!" the judge gasped. "The court accepts this into evidence." _Parking Garage Map added to Court Record._

"Ms. Starr, append this to your testimony," Klarissa ordered, scowling at her.

* * *

><p><em>I parked in the A block.<em>

**HOLD IT!**

"Why were you in the A block?" Apollo asked. "Don't people usually park on higher floors when the lower floors fill up?"

"I had reserved parking," Angel explained. "That's because…"

* * *

><p><em>Lunchland was asked to cater for the concert by Mr. Klavier Gavin himself.<em>

_I was unloading boxes from my car when I sensed something. Perhaps it was my finely-tuned detective instincts at work?_

**HOLD IT!**

"You 'sensed' something?" Apollo repeated, pressing his finger to his forehead. Angel smiled sweetly at him and pulled out yet another pink box.

"You ordered the Bloodstain Special?" she asked.

"No!" Apollo yelled emphatically.

"But Mr. Justice, I thought that was the basis of your entire argument," Angel said, almost mockingly. "That the B block can't be the real crime scene because of a _lack of bloodstains_? Well I'll tell you there was blood in the A block. Lots of it." The spectators in the gallery began murmuring to each other, and the judge banged down his gavel.

"Order!" he shouted. "Order in the court! Witness, explain yourself!"

"Why didn't you call the police?" Pearl asked. "If you saw blood, then—"

"You're forgetting, little girl, that I work for Lunchland on the _side_," Angel sneered. "My real profession…" She flipped her bangs out of her eyes. "… is being a homicide detective! I didn't have _time_ to call for backup, so I investigated on my own. I _did_ go down to the precinct to tell them what I saw. They just didn't listen because everyone was so caught up in _this_ case!"

"If your testimony is so _vital_," Klarissa practically snarled, "then continue it this instant!"

"Oh, I will," Angel shot back, glaring at her.

* * *

><p><em>I waited in the shadows and saw the figure of a woman hauling something through the parking garage.<em>

**HOLD IT!**

Apollo slammed his fists down on the table. "Then why didn't you apprehend her right away?" he yelled.

"Believe me, I tried," Angel told him in a sickly sweet voice, "but there's only so much I can do while trying to gather information."

"You were… gathering information?" Apollo asked slowly, pressing his finger to his forehead.

"Apprehending the woman then would have been pointless," Angel said. "She was quick, like a deadly predator. I could barely catch a glimpse of her, let alone apprehend her!"

"But you're absolutely, positively sure that it was a woman that you saw?" Apollo asked.

"Yes, I'm sure," Angel replied.

"And what was she carrying?" Klarissa asked.

* * *

><p><em>Upon closer inspection, I noticed it was two bodies.<em>

**HOLD IT!**

"_Two_ bodies?" Apollo clarified. "Are you sure?"

"Yes," Angel replied. Apollo crossed his arms and smirked triumphantly.

"And there you have it, Your Honor," he said. "The witness has just testified that a _third_ person moved the dead body of Maddie Thompson and the unconscious body of Ruka Mills to the B block of the parking garage."

"**OBJECTION!**" Klarissa yelled, snapping her fingers. "The witness said nothing of that sort!" Apollo slammed his fists down on the table.

"Well who else could it have been?" he shot back. He leaned in and glared at her. "_Only two bodies were found in the B block of the parking garage!_" The spectators murmured to each other, and the judge banged down his gavel.

"Order!" he yelled. "Order! Order in the court! Mr. Justice, are you insinuating that the crime scene was, in fact, _not_ the B block of the parking garage?" There was pin drop silence, and Apollo hung his head.

"That's exactly what I've been trying to prove for the past couple of hours, Your Honor," he deadpanned.

"Why don't we recap the defense's stance then?" Phoenix suggested. "Apollo, why don't you point out the _real_ crime scene on the map?"

"The real crime scene was the _A block_, not the B block, as Ms. Starr testified," Apollo said.

"Right," Klarissa said sharply. "And who do you suppose is this mysterious third person?" Apollo simply shook his head.

"I don't know," he said, "and frankly, that's not my job." He crossed his arms and smirked triumphantly. "I'm just supposed to prove Ruka Mills' innocence."

"Which you have not done yet," Klarissa reminded him, snapping her fingers.

"Well what do you think?" Apollo asked, slamming fists down on the table. "_Are there really any other possibilities?_"

"Yes," Klarissa answered promptly. Apollo crossed his arms and smirked triumphantly.

"You're bluffing," he said.

"Hey, take it easy!" Phoenix warned. "I know you're on a roll, but, seriously, be careful!"

"Your Honor, the prosecution would like to summon Ms. Mina Thompson to the witness stand once more," Klarissa said.

"Wh-What?" Apollo stammered. _This isn't good_, he thought. _She's going to accuse Mina of murdering them! I… I have to do something!_

"**OBJECTION!**" Apollo yelled, slamming his fists down on the table. "Mina Asou already told this court everything she knows. What more do you want from her?"

"Apollo Justice, there is not enough information for there to be a clear verdict," Klarissa said flatly. "You said it yourself. Besides…" She snapped her fingers. "I do not believe our little witness has established a clear alibi." The judge banged down his gavel.

"Bailiff, please escort Ms. Asou into the courtroom," he ordered. _No…_ Apollo thought. _This is bad. Mina couldn't have done it! I… I have to raise an objection!_ Apollo slammed his fists down on the table.

"You're Honor, that's—"

"Let her come, Apollo," Phoenix interrupted, staring straight ahead.

"Wh-What?" Apollo stammered. Phoenix turned his head to look at Apollo.

"Let her come," he repeated. "If she's really innocent, then you have nothing to be afraid of." Within a few minutes, Mina was once again standing at the witness stand.

"I already told you everything I know," she said almost immediately. "If there's anything else you need—"

"There is, actually," Klarissa cut her off. "Mina Asou, please testify about what you were doing prior to the time you discovered the victim's body." Mina's eyes widened slightly.

"O-Ok," she stammered. _Oh no. She's trying to make her nervous so that she'll seem suspicious!_

"**OBJECTION!**" Apollo shouted.

"Apollo!" Phoenix yelled. "She didn't say anything yet!"

"Stop badgering the witness!" Apollo yelled, completely ignoring Phoenix.

"I haven't said anything yet, Mr. Apollo Justice," Klarissa said smoothly. "Now testify, witness!"

* * *

><p><em><span>Witness Testimony: Before I Found the Body<span>_

_Like I said before, our midterms just got over, so Ruka, Maddie and I came to Gavin's concert to celebrate._

_I really didn't even want to be there. I even waited outside during the whole first half._

_After intermission, Maddie and Ruka made me watch the rest of the concert with them._

_Then, after the concert, we went outside again._

_It was really cold, and Ruka left her second sweater in the car, so she and Maddie went to go get it._

_They said they'd be right back, so I waited for them for a bit._

_Then, after about twenty minutes, they still didn't return, so I went looking for them._

* * *

><p>"That was a very thorough testimony, Ms. Asou," the judge complimented. A hint of a smile showed on Mina's face.<p>

"Thank you, Your Honor," she said sincerely.

"Mr. Justice, you may now cross-examine the witness," the judge said.

* * *

><p><em><span>Cross-Examination<span>_

_Like I said before, our midterms just got over, so Ruka, Maddie and I came to Gavin's concert to celebrate._

_I really didn't even want to be there. I even waited outside during the whole first half._

**HOLD IT!**

To Apollo's immense surprise, it was Klarissa who interrupted Mina, not Phoenix or Pearl. "Can anyone personally vouch for you?" she asked Mina. She then snapped her fingers. "Can anyone testify that you really were standing outside at the time?"

"I can," Apollo said immediately, glaring at Klarissa. "I'm not a huge fan of Gavin's concerts either, so I waited outside with the witness. And Trucy saw me with her, so she can vouch for her too."

"Anyway…" Mina continued.

* * *

><p><em>After intermission, Maddie and Ruka made me watch the rest of the concert with them.<em>

_Then, after the concert, we went outside again._

_It was really cold, and Ruka left her second sweater in the car, so she and Maddie went to go get it._

_They said they'd be right back, so I waited for them for a bit._

**HOLD IT!**

"Where did you wait for them?" Apollo asked.

"Just outside Sunshine Coliseum," Mina replied.

"Can anyone vouch for you this time?" Klarissa asked. Mina hung her head slightly.

"No…" she said quietly. "I was alone."

"And there you have it, Your Honor," Klarissa said in an almost mocking tone. She snapped her fingers. "The witness lacks a sufficient alibi! Ergo, she is a potential suspect!" The people in the gallery grew restless, and the judge banged down his gavel.

"Order!" he yelled. "Order! Order in the court! Ms. von Karma, I'm surprised at you! What you are insinuating will not help your case at all!"

"I only care for the truth," Klarissa said simply. Suddenly, Apollo felt his bracelet clamp so tightly around his wrist, it felt like it was suffocating it. _No way…_ Apollo thought. _But… she's lying? This is… why…?_ "I am just examining all possibilities." The bracelet tightened even more, now painfully so. _What the… what the hell is going on?_ "I am not like my sister, Your Honor. I care not for perfect win records, or fame, or money. I care only for the truth." That did it. Apollo's wrist now throbbed, and he was beginning to lose feeling in his hand. He moved his other hand to take the bracelet off, but the golden band around his wrist wouldn't budge.

"Apollo, are you all right?" Phoenix asked, concern evident in his voice.

"I-I'm fine," Apollo replied a little breathlessly, only to feel his bracelet clamp down even more as it caught him in his own lie. _Damn it!_

"Apollo, maybe you should…" Phoenix began. Apollo didn't even hear the rest of what Phoenix said because he was too busy trying to listen to Klarissa.

"That poor girl Maddie Thompson did nothing wrong," Klarissa said in a sickeningly sweet voice. The bracelet tightened. "There was no reason for her to be killed, and yet she was." The bracelet tightened even more. "It's tragic, really." The bracelet tightened painfully, and Apollo cried out in pain.

"Apollo!" Phoenix yelled in alarm.

"Your Honor, please stop the trial!" Pearl begged. "Apollo's hurt!"

"No I'm not!" Apollo choked out, only to have the bracelet tighten again. He bit his lower lip to keep himself from crying out in pain. "I'm fine…"

"Your Honor, the defense would like to request one more day to investigate," Phoenix said quickly. "We've been investigating the wrong crime scene from the beginning. What's the point in prolonging this trial when we haven't even investigated the real crime scene?" The judge paused before nodding.

"Very well," he said. "Court will reconvene tomorrow at the same time. Until then, Mr. Justice, Ms. von Karma, I expect you both to seize this opportunity to investigate all you can. Court adjourned." He banged down his gavel. _This is good_, Apollo acknowledged. _We have another day to find out what really happened… but what's going on with Ms. von Karma? Why did she lie just now? What is her connection to this case?_

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

><p><em>Court Record:<em>

_Evidence_

_Attorney's Badge – No one would believe I was a defense attorney if I didn't carry this._

_Switchblade Knife – The murder weapon. Carries traces of the victim's blood._

_Ruka's Sketch – A drawing by the defendant depicting a shadow attacking the victim and the defendant holding out a knife._

_Blood Stains – Three small splotches of blood found on the floor of Block B of the Parking Garage._

_Manager's Note – A note written by the manager firing Larry Butz for deleting all the security videos taken the day of the crime._

_Maddie's Autopsy Report – Estimated time of death: January 23, 8:02 PM. Cause of death: loss of blood from one stab wound to the chest._

_Crime Scene Photo #1 – Depicts the victim lying dead on the ground of the parking garage._

_Crime Scene Photo #2 – Depicts the defendant lying unconscious near the crime scene._

_Parking Garage Map – Check for details._

_Profiles_

_Trucy Wright, 16 years old – My assistant and my boss's daughter. A magician who recently inherited the great Magnifi Gramarye's trade._

_Phoenix Wright, 34 years old – My boss, a defense attorney who lost his badge after being accused of fabricating evidence. He recently regained his defense attorney's badge, but he has to watch five of my trials before he can officially practice again._

_Maya Fey, 27 years old – Mr. Wright's old assistant and the master of the Kurain Channeling Technique. She's been dropping by the Wright Anything Agency a lot ever since Mr. Wright got back his badge. _

_Pearl Fey, 17 years old – Maya's younger cousin and an old client of mine. Usually hangs out with Trucy and me whenever she visits the Agency. Like Maya, can also channel the dead._

_Ema Skye, 26 years old – An avid scientist turned detective who was formerly employed under prosecutor Klavier Gavin._

_Klarissa von Karma, 41 years old – A prosecutor who recently moved here from Germany after her sister was promoted to chief prosecutor. _

_Klavier Gavin, 25 years old – A rock star turned prosecutor from Germany. Recently took a year-long vacation after convicting his best friend and his brother of murder to the first degree._

_Mina Asou, 19 years old – A university student dragged to Gavin's concert by her two friends._

_Maddie Thompson, 19 years old – A university student, and the victim in this case._

_Ruka Mills, 19 years old – A university student, and the prime suspect in this case._

_Franziska von Karma, 27 years old – The chief prosecutor, and Klarissa's younger sister._

_Larry Butz, 33 years old – Mr. Wright's old friend and the security guard who was on duty the night of the murder._

_Angel Starr, 41 years old – A woman known as the "Cough-up Queen" who claims to have seen something related to the case on the day of the murder._

XX

**I'M SOOOOORRRYYYYYY! I haven't updated in a really long time. PLEASE FORGIVE MEEEEE! But you have to understand how difficult this case is for me to write. It's one of those things where I know how everything played out during the crime, and I know some crucial events that are going to happen within the next investigation day (or days?), but I don't know how Apollo will arrive at the necessary conclusions… yet. Please, PLEASE review and tell me how I'm doing so far!**


	21. Songs for a New Turnabout: Part 6

_January 25, 1:00 PM_

_Wright Anything Agency_

Apollo exhaled sharply as his bracelet finally slid off his wrist. There was a bright red mark where it once was, and Apollo could now feel blood flowing through his hand. "Are you sure you're ok, Apollo?" Pearl asked concernedly.

"He's fine, Pearly," Trucy said fleetingly. "He's just making a big deal 'cause his bracelet acted up."

"She was lying," Apollo mumbled faintly.

"Who?" Maya asked. "The witness?" Apollo shook his head.

"von Karma," Apollo answered. "She was lying through her teeth, and she wouldn't stop. That's why…"

"That's why you kept getting that pained look on your face," Phoenix finished. "Because your bracelet wouldn't stop tightening."

"Well is your hand ok now?" Maya asked. Apollo shook his hand feebly and flexed his fingers.

"Yeah," he answered a bit more confidently. "I think so."

"Then we should get investigating," Phoenix advised. "Put your bracelet back on. It shouldn't bother you now that von Karma isn't here, apparently lying through her teeth." Apollo slipped his bracelet back on, and he couldn't help but feel a bit irritated that it came on so easily.

"That's so weird…" Maya mused. "I couldn't even tell she was lying."

"Neither could I," Phoenix admitted. Suddenly, the phone rang.

"I'll get it," Apollo volunteered as he stood up and walked over to the phone. He picked it up with the hand with the bracelet. "Wright Anything Agency… Yes, this is Apollo Justice speaking."

"Who is it?" Maya whispered loudly. Apollo waved his hand dismissively.

"Oh, Ms. von Karma!" he gasped, his eyes widening in alarm.

"von Karma?" Trucy almost yelled. Apollo shot her a furious glare and waved his hand at her.

"Oh, so you saw the trial then?" Apollo asked.

"The other one," Phoenix muttered to everyone else. "Franziska."

"W-Well, I…" Apollo mumbled awkwardly, his face turning slightly red, scratching the back of his head. "I-I'm fine, really…"

"What happened to old whipface?" Maya asked.

"I would pay to see him on the receiving end of her whip," Phoenix sighed.

"Daddy!" Trucy reprimanded. "Be nice!"

"R-Really?" Apollo gasped. "You would do that? Thank you so much! You have no idea how… no, thank _you_." Phoenix simply rolled his eyes and snatched the phone away from Apollo.

"Hey Franziska," he said casually into the phone. He paused as he listened to her for a few seconds. "Mmhm. Got it. Thank you. Bye." And with that, he hung up.

"What did you do that for?" Apollo asked, glaring furiously at Phoenix.

"She's too old and too violent for you, Apollo," Phoenix said smoothly. "That, and her sister's a liar, as you said."

"I wasn't—" Apollo refuted.

"Anyway, she said she would give us permission to investigate the new crime scene," Phoenix said.

"That's kind of strange, coming from her," Pearl observed. "Wouldn't she want to do everything she can to help her sister?"

"Something tells me there's more to this generous little offer than what meets the eye…" Trucy mused.

"We should probably start investigating," Apollo said.

"Why don't we head down to the detention center first?" Maya suggested.

"That's not really going to do anything," Trucy said. "Ruka's just as in the dark about this case as we are."

"But her testimony doesn't really match up with what we revealed in court today," Phoenix pointed out.

"What testimony?" Apollo yelled. "She didn't say anything! She _couldn't_ say anything!" Phoenix sighed heavily.

"If she were a witness, this would be perfectly understandable," he said sadly. "But she's the defendant, and if she can't testify, she's as good as dead."

"Then let's start at the crime scene," Maya said. "The real one."

"We're not going to get anywhere if we don't go there anyway," Apollo muttered.

* * *

><p><em>January 25, 1:22 PM<em>

_Parking Garage_

_A Block_

"Are you kidding me?" Apollo asked incredulously as he glanced around the A block. "Why is this crime scene so clean? Didn't Ms. Starr say that there was a lot of blood here too?"

"What we really need right now is Luminol," Trucy said.

"It won't do any good." Ema stood in front of them, frowning, her hand placed gently on her hip.

"Ema!" Trucy called cheerfully.

"There are traces of bleach on the ground," Ema explained. "Bleach produces the same effect as blood when tested with Luminol. Scientifically speaking… the real killer did her research."

"Are you so sure it's female?" Phoenix asked.

"Yeah," Ema replied, playing with a strand of her hair. "Ms. Starr said that a woman was carrying two bodies across the parking garage. I think it's pretty obvious that that woman is the one that murdered Maddie Thompson."

"If Ms. von Karma comes, tell her that Ms. von Karma gave us permission to investigate the crime scene," Trucy said.

"Wait, what?" Ema asked, frowning.

"The chief prosecutor," Apollo explained hurriedly.

"Oh, right," Ema said, beginning to play with a strand of her hair. "Her sister's the chief prosecutor." She smiled and pulled her glasses down over her eyes. "So go ahead. Investigate to your heart's content."

"Thanks Ema," Phoenix said. Apollo spotted a particularly large bottle of bleach lying innocently in the shadows.

"So this is the bleach Ema mentioned…" he mused.

"I'll bet you anything the real killer poured it everywhere to cover her tracks," Maya said.

"That probably was the general idea…" Phoenix agreed, "but there's still traces of blood at the _fake_ crime scene."

"The B block…" Trucy mumbled.

"But remember the real killer was trying to convince all of us that the B block was the real crime scene, and not the A block?" Pearl pointed out.

"That's true," Phoenix said. "But why go through all that trouble?"

"Why not?" Apollo retorted. "Think about it. If _you_ were trying to kill someone, wouldn't you want to make the crime as confusing and vague as possible? What's the point in making it really obvious if you're going to get caught anyway?"

"I'm kind of scared to ask…" Trucy said, her eyes widening, covering her mouth with one hand. Apollo sighed and shook the bottle.

"It's empty," he observed. "So I think this is pretty much a guarantee that this was one of the bottles of bleach the killer used to cover her tracks." _Bleach added to Court Record._

"Wait a minute!" Pearl interjected. "If Luminol reacts to bleach just as it does to blood, wouldn't there be a _stronger_ reaction where the blood is?"

"Nice one, Pearly!" Maya said cheerfully. "This will help us for sure!"

"It won't," Ema called from across the A block. "Luminol only produces one reaction. "

"Huh?" Trucy asked confusedly.

"It means everything will turn blue regardless of where the blood really is," Phoenix clarified. "The exact same shade of blue."

"Nick, why is the murderer so good?" Maya whined.

"Well wouldn't there be fingerprints on the victim and defendant's clothes?" Apollo asked. "That's what helped us in Kay Faraday's trial. Barrymore's fingerprints were on Franklin's clothes."

"You think I haven't tried that already?" Ema asked, crossing her arms and glaring at him. "Do you honestly think that someone who used bleach to camouflage the blood splatter from the murder would risk getting caught over something so obvious?"

"In other words, she dusted the victim and defendant's clothes for fingerprints and didn't find anything," Phoenix explained.

"There was absolutely nothing," Ema complained.

"If we all agree that this third person was the one who murdered Maddie, why is this trial still going on?" Trucy asked. "Finding the real killer isn't really our job. We're just supposed to prove Ruka innocent, and we did."

"Not exactly," Apollo refuted. "In the prosecution's eyes, it's still entirely possible that Ruka killed Maddie. The only thing we proved is that the A block was the real crime scene, not the B block as we thought."

"And we're trying to convince the jury here," Phoenix added. "As long as von Karma keeps coming up with new ideas and claims, the jury's going to be eating out of the palm of her hand."

"And that doesn't change the fact that Ruka's fingerprints are on the murder weapon," Ema concluded. "So scientifically speaking, if you don't find out what _really_ happened that night, you won't be able to prove Ruka innocent." Ema gave a heavy sigh and turned her head to the side. "I'm so getting fired for this. I feel like Detective Gumshoe." _Detective Gumshoe?_ Apollo thought. _Is that his real name? That's so redundant!_

"U-Um…" Pearl piped up. "What if… what if it really _was_ Ruka's fault, but it was _justified self-defense_?"

"What?" everyone asked simultaneously.

"Think about it!" Pearl insisted. "Her fingerprints are on the murder weapon, and Maddie, her best friend, was killed. But what if it was by _accident_?"

"That shadow…" Apollo muttered. "The one in the drawing."

"I think it's safe to assume that that shadow is the woman Ms. Starr saw," Maya said. "Are you saying that shadow attacked them?"

"It's possible," Phoenix conceded. "But again, we have no proof." Trucy groaned.

"Seriously, what's up with this case?" she ranted. "There isn't enough evidence here either!"

"We don't _need_ evidence," Apollo retorted. "We just need a good enough argument to convince the jury that the defendant's innocent."

"It'll be a little hard to do that without evidence, though," Maya pointed out.

"How about this?" Phoenix interjected. "Maya and I will run some background checks on the defendant, the victim, and the witness, while you three go and interview the defendant and witness again."

"What more can we get from their testimonies?" Pearl asked.

"A lot more," Phoenix replied. "Particularly from Ruka's."

* * *

><p><em>January 25, 2:05 PM<em>

_Detention Center_

To Apollo's immense surprise, Franziska was standing in front of Ruka's cell. "Ah, Mr. Justice," she greeted, turning to face him. "Ms. Ruka Mills was just summoned for questioning."

"Ok, what about Mina?" Trucy asked.

"She has been called for questioning as well," Franziska replied. Pearl sighed heavily.

"This isn't getting us anywhere…" she mumbled. "Ms. von Karma, do you know anything?" Franziska's eyebrows furrowed slightly.

"Unfortunately, no, Miss Fey," she said. "My sister didn't feel the need to… how did she put it? Bore me with unnecessary details."

"They're totally necessary!" Trucy shot back.

"Yelling at her isn't going to solve anything, Trucy," Apollo reminded her exasperatedly.

"Did you investigate the new crime scene?" Franziska asked.

"Yeah, and we didn't find anything," Trucy replied.

"The killer spilled bleach all over the floor to cover her tracks," Pearl explained. "It produces the same reaction as blood when tested with Luminol."

"And Detective Skye," Franziska continued. "Is she—"

"She's just as clueless as we are," Apollo answered flatly. "She's thoroughly convinced that the defendant's innocent, and she's doing everything she can to help us."

"Hmm…" Franziska mused, gazing off to the side. "Perhaps another detective would be beneficial?"

"Hey, Ema's doing her job," Trucy told her. "Don't cut her salary or anything just because she—"

"I was going to do nothing of that sort," Franziska refuted. "What I mean to say was that perhaps another detective – an older, more experienced one – would be able to help clear this case up."

"Who did you have in mind?" Apollo asked.

"This particular detective, unfortunately, is retired," Franziska said, "but he truly was amazing at what he did." She pulled out a slip of paper and began writing. "I'll give you his address. If you have any problems, I will speak to him personally." She handed Apollo the slip of paper.

"Detective Tyrell Badd?" Apollo read off the paper. "I thought he was incarcerated for grand larceny."

"He was," Franziska told him.

"Wait, what happened?" Trucy asked.

"I don't know the details," Apollo began shakily, "but there was this great thief several years ago, Yama-something—"

"Yatagarasu," Franziska corrected.

"Yeah, that," Apollo amended. "That great thief was actually three people trying to take down a smuggling ring and Detective Badd was one of them."

"The other two members of the Yatagarasu were Byrne Faraday and a woman whose real name I still do not know today," Franziska added.

"Faraday?" Pearl repeated. "As in _Kay_ Faraday?"

"The defendant from the last case?" Trucy asked.

"Yes, Byrne Faraday is Kay Faraday's late father," Franziska said. "But that story is irrelevant. Go speak with Detective Badd, and come back to me if you have any problems."

"Thanks Ms. von Karma!" Trucy said cheerfully.

"Apollo, do you really think a different detective will be able to help us?" Pearl asked quietly.

"I don't know," Apollo answered honestly, "but he's better than nothing."

* * *

><p><em>Court Record:<em>

_Evidence_

_Attorney's Badge – No one would believe I was a defense attorney if I didn't carry this._

_Switchblade Knife – The murder weapon. Carries traces of the victim's blood._

_Ruka's Sketch – A drawing by the defendant depicting a shadow attacking the victim and the defendant holding out a knife._

_Blood Stains – Three small splotches of blood found on the floor of Block B of the Parking Garage._

_Manager's Note – A note written by the manager firing Larry Butz for deleting all the security videos taken the day of the crime._

_Maddie's Autopsy Report – Estimated time of death: January 23, 8:02 PM. Cause of death: loss of blood from one stab wound to the chest._

_Crime Scene Photo #1 – Depicts the victim lying dead on the ground of the parking garage._

_Crime Scene Photo #2 – Depicts the defendant lying unconscious near the crime scene._

_Parking Garage Map – Check for details._

_Bleach – Traces found at the real crime scene. Reacts to Luminol in the same way that blood does._

_Profiles_

_Trucy Wright, 16 years old – My assistant and my boss's daughter. A magician who recently inherited the great Magnifi Gramarye's trade._

_Phoenix Wright, 34 years old – My boss, a defense attorney who lost his badge after being accused of fabricating evidence. He recently regained his defense attorney's badge, but he has to watch five of my trials before he can officially practice again._

_Maya Fey, 27 years old – Mr. Wright's old assistant and the master of the Kurain Channeling Technique. She's been dropping by the Wright Anything Agency a lot ever since Mr. Wright got back his badge. _

_Pearl Fey, 17 years old – Maya's younger cousin and an old client of mine. Usually hangs out with Trucy and me whenever she visits the Agency. Like Maya, can also channel the dead._

_Ema Skye, 26 years old – An avid scientist turned detective who was formerly employed under prosecutor Klavier Gavin._

_Klarissa von Karma, 41 years old – A prosecutor who recently moved here from Germany after her sister was promoted to chief prosecutor. _

_Klavier Gavin, 25 years old – A rock star turned prosecutor from Germany. Recently took a year-long vacation after convicting his best friend and his brother of murder to the first degree._

_Mina Asou, 19 years old – A university student dragged to Gavin's concert by her two friends._

_Maddie Thompson, 19 years old – A university student, and the victim in this case._

_Ruka Mills, 19 years old – A university student, and the prime suspect in this case._

_Franziska von Karma, 27 years old – The chief prosecutor, and Klarissa's younger sister._

_Larry Butz, 33 years old – Mr. Wright's old friend and the security guard who was on duty the night of the murder._

_Mia Fey, Deceased – Mr. Wright's old dead mentor who's back from the dead to help us with this case._

_Angel Starr, 41 years old – A woman known as the "Cough-up Queen" who claims to have seen something related to the case on the day of the murder._

_Tyrell Badd, 68 years old – A veteran (now retired) detective who was incarcerated for his affiliation with the Yatagarasu._

XX

**Whew! This chapter was… rather tedious to write, actually. Investigation chapters usually are pretty tedious to write. PLEASE REVIEW!**


	22. Songs for a New Turnabout: Part 7

_January 25, 2:30 PM_

_Gatewater Apartments_

"Are you kidding me?" Apollo asked as soon as he, Trucy, and Pearl reached the address Franziska gave them.

"What's wrong?" Pearl asked.

"This guy…" Apollo began slowly. "Tyrell Badd… He's my _neighbor_. The guy with all the bullet holes in his jacket."

"Wait, so you _know_ him?" Trucy asked. "Why didn't you say anything before?"

"Not really," Apollo admitted, scratching the back of his head. "That guy gives me the creeps."

"So which one's your apartment, Polly?" Trucy asked. Apollo pointed to the door to the left of Tyrell Badd's.

"That one," he answered. He sighed heavily and braced himself to knock on the door. "Let's get this over with." He rapped on the door twice, then stepped back hesitantly. Within a few minutes, the door swung open, revealing a tall, gruff-looking man with grey hair and a grey trench coat with several small holes. He seemed to be chewing on something, with a white stick protruding from his mouth.

"What do you want, kid?" he asked as soon as he saw Apollo. "Did you lock yourself out of your apartment again?"

"Uh…" Apollo mumbled. "No. Umm… Mr. Badd…" Badd sighed.

"Come inside, kid," he said. He disappeared into the apartment.

"So you go to this guy when you lock yourself out of your apartment?" Trucy asked. "How often does that happen?"

"It used to happen a lot while I was working for Mr. Gavin," Apollo replied, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment. "He'd pick the lock for me." He sighed. "I knew he was a retired detective, but…"

"Are you kids coming, or what?" Badd called from inside the apartment.

"Let's just go," Pearl whispered.

* * *

><p><em>January 25, 2:35 PM<em>

_Gatewater Apartments_

_Badd's Apartment_

"So what do you kids want from me?" Badd asked, plopping down in a chair. He gestured towards a ragged old couch. "Sit." Apollo sat down gingerly with Trucy and Pearl on either side of him.

"Um…" Apollo began hesitantly. "Mr. Badd, you know how I'm a defense attorney?"

"Yep," Badd answered casually. "I remember falling asleep to your Iron Chords." _It's Chords of Steel! Get it right!_ Apollo chuckled nervously and scratched the back of his head.

"W-Well I was wondering if you could help us out with a case," Apollo mumbled, "you being an ex-detective and all."

"I'm retired, kid," Badd reminded him.

"We know," Trucy interjected, "but Ms. von Karma said you're the best there is!"

"Please, we're really desperate," Pearl begged. Badd raised his eyebrows slightly in surprise.

"von Karma, eh?" he asked. He pulled a pink lollipop out of his mouth. "How's she doing these days? I haven't seen her since we cracked that smuggling ring case."

"She's chief prosecutor now," Apollo replied.

"Really?" Badd asked. "I thought… that Edgeworth boy… would make chief."

"You'd have to ask my Daddy about that," Trucy said, smiling sheepishly.

"So what's with this case of yours?" Badd asked. "Is it so bad… that you can't… solve it on your own?"

"W-Well…" Apollo mumbled, suddenly feeling self-conscious.

"You need to investigate more, kid," Badd said flatly.

"Please!" Pearl begged, clasping her hands together. "There isn't enough information at all! Apollo proved today in court that we've been looking at the wrong crime scene, and when we went to investigate the real one, we still didn't find anything!"

"Ruka's so traumatized, she can't talk about what happened _at all_," Trucy continued.

"Who's Ruka?" Badd interrupted.

"The defendant," Apollo replied.

"If she can't talk…" Badd said quietly, "… she's as good as dead."

"We know," Trucy retorted.

"And Mina – the witness – is thoroughly convinced that she's innocent," Pearl added.

"But there's not much we can do without making it look like Mina's the real killer, which she totally _isn't_," Trucy finished.

"How did the victim die, and what was her relation to the defendant and witness?" Badd asked.

"They were best friends," Apollo answered. "All three of them were students at Ivy University. Other than that, we don't know."

"Daddy's doing a background check on them right now," Trucy said. Pearl sighed.

"If this were only a straightforward case like Miss Faraday's…" she mumbled.

"That wasn't straightforward at all," Apollo scoffed.

"You defended Kay?" Badd asked, his eyes widening incredulously.

"Yeah, of grand larceny, and then murder," Apollo replied, nodding.

"At first, Mr. Edgeworth recommended Mr. Nick, but then Mr. Nick can't defend anyone until he watches five of Apollo's trials first," Pearl said.

"And I'm assuming this 'Mr. Nick' is Phoenix Wright?" Badd asked. "I've heard of him… never met him, though… Dick wouldn't shut up about him…"

"You mean Detective Gumshoe?" Pearl asked meekly. Badd never bothered to answer. He grunted as he stood up, dusting off his trench coat, and headed towards the door.

"All right," he said finally. "I'll do it, since you're desperate… kid."

"Thanks Mr. Badd!" Trucy said loudly.

* * *

><p><em>January 25, 2:35 PM<em>

_Ivy University_

_Barnum Library_

Phoenix plopped into a chair in front of one of the computers and set to work immediately. Maya stood behind him, crossing her arms and tapping her foot impatiently. "Nick, do you honestly think you'll be able to get full records on these girls from a _library_ computer?"

"Professor Roland pulled some strings," Phoenix muttered distractedly as he furiously typed away, "and I got the passwords to the student database." He typed for a few more seconds before pressing the enter key twice. "Done, done, and done." Three new pages popped up on the screen, each depicting a portrait of Ruka, Mina, and Maddie at the top.

"They look so happy…" Maya mumbled sadly. "Nick, this is terrible. One of them is dead, and the other is on trial for murder! What could have happened for them to…" She trailed off, and Phoenix looked up at her.

"That's what we're trying to find out right now," he told her. He clicked on Ruka's window. "Let's see… Ruka Mills, sophomore, anthropology major, studied abroad for a semester last year in Japan… hmm, no outstanding charges… nothing really out of the ordinary with her."

"Really?" Maya piqued.

"Yeah, she's got a completely clean record," Phoenix continued, rubbing his chin. "She doesn't even have any ties to law enforcement." He scrolled down further and scoffed. "Well, would you look at this? Guess who her roommates are."

"Mina and Maddie?" Maya asked.

"Yeah, she shares a suite with them," Phoenix replied. He gave a melancholy smile. "Huh… Room 202 in Williams… that's where Iris stayed."

"Can we get back on topic, please?" Maya huffed impatiently.

"Right," Phoenix said as he closed Ruka's window and moved on to Mina's. "Mina Asou, sophomore, photo major—"

"We already know that," Maya snapped.

"I know," Phoenix grumbled as he scrolled down. "She took pictures for a fashion show last year. That's pretty much it for her."

"Are you serious?" Maya complained. "Could the killer have picked three more random girls?" Ignoring her, Phoenix closed Mina's window and opened Maddie's.

"Maddie Thompson," he read in a low voice. "Sophomore. Undeclared."

"What does that mean?" Maya asked.

"It means you don't have a major," Phoenix replied. "By the look of the things she's done, she tried really hard to find herself a good major. Neuroscience, journalism, policy, criminal justice—"

"What did she do involving criminal justice?" Maya asked. Phoenix scrolled down.

"She wrote an essay about her theory on a murder case in Germany," Phoenix said.

"What kind of a murder case?" Maya asked. Phoenix clicked a link on Maddie's window, and a Word document popped up.

"It was a serial killing," Phoenix said quietly. "'With the outstanding lack of legitimate evidence and the failure of Germany's prosecutors to convict the real criminal… the obvious conclusion is that the real criminal has close ties to law enforcement or… _is_ a part of law enforcement.'"

"But it's just a stupid college essay!" Maya protested. "She just submitted it for a grade, got an A, and got on with her life, right?"

"Wrong," Phoenix refuted. "Her professor liked the essay so much that he submitted it to the Los Angeles Times."

"Nick, I know what you're thinking, but what exactly are the chances of a serial killer _in Germany_ coming all the way _here_ to get rid of a _college student_ who may have figured out their plans?" Maya asked.

"It's possible," Phoenix said. "It's definitely possible. If this serial killer had ties to law enforcement like Maddie theorized, then it would have been so easy for them to hop on a plane and come here."

"Franziska would know," Maya suggested. "So would her sister."

"We'll ask Franziska then," Phoenix said as he logged off the computer and stood up. "I hope Apollo can keep up his part of the investigation on his own." _But before we leave… we should probably copy all of this down somewhere._

_"Maddie Thompson," "Ruka Mills," and "Mina Asou" profiles updated._

_German Serial Killings Essay added to Court Record._

* * *

><p><em>January 25, 3:00 PM<em>

_Parking Garage_

_A Block_

"So this is the crime scene, eh?" Badd asked as he stuffed his hands into his pockets.

"Yup," Trucy replied uncertainly.

"It looks a little too clean…" Badd mused. "Don't you think?"

"That's exactly what our problem is," Apollo said. "We can't find anything that will help us."

"We did a Luminol test, but the killer left bleach everywhere, and that produces the same effect," Pearl added.

"So what do you expect me to do about it?" Badd asked.

"Um…" Apollo said awkwardly, scratching the back of his head. "Is there anything you see that could help us?" Badd quickly scanned the parking garage, crouching down in particular areas.

"Nothing really seems… to be wrong here," Badd said in a low voice. "Your mysterious killer's good… didn't leave a single trace." Trucy gave a dramatic sigh.

"This isn't helping us at all," she complained.

"But it could work to our advantage," Pearl piqued. "There isn't any proof that a third person killed Maddie and framed Ruka, but there isn't anything proving that Ruka really did kill Maddie."

"You're right," Apollo said, "and all we need to do is convince the jury."

"Jury?" Badd repeated. "That new jurist system thing?"

"Twelve jurors," Apollo explained. "Each of them will vote 'guilty' or 'not guilty' at the end of the trial. It's them we have to convince, not the judge. I know it sounds a little weird, considering it wasn't there in your time, but…"

"I've seen weirder," Badd muttered. He pulled the pink lollipop out of his mouth. "So here's what I think. Go to court tomorrow and say that there wasn't anything incriminating the defendant at the real crime scene. Your job is to get your defendant an acquittal, not find out what really happened. Leave that to the detectives."

"He's right, Polly," Trucy agreed. "It's not really our job to find out what really happened. We can go throw that in von Karma's face!"

"There's always going to be some case where you can't win if you don't find the truth," Badd told Apollo, "but I don't think this is one of them."

"So what do we do now?" Pearl asked. Badd gave a heavy sigh.

"Just focus on the trial tomorrow," he advised before putting the lollipop back in his mouth. "I'm getting… too old for this…"

* * *

><p><em>January 25, 3:00 PM<em>

_Chief Prosecutor's Office_

Phoenix wasn't entirely sure what he was expecting when he entered the chief prosecutor's office, but he was surprised to find himself not particularly perturbed by Franziska's absence. "Looks like she's not here," Maya said. "When do you think she'll be back?"

"I don't know," Phoenix answered.

"Do you think we should leave a note or something?" Maya asked.

"Nah," Phoenix replied. "She'll probably whip us if we touch her stuff." Suddenly, the Steel Samurai theme song rang out, and Phoenix fumbled for his cell phone. "Hello?"

"Nick!" Larry yelled on the other line. "You've gotta come over here! I found something!"

"At the security office?" Phoenix asked. "Are you sure?"

"Positive!" Larry yelled. "See you, Nick!" With a click, the phone call ended.

"Was that Larry?" Maya asked. Phoenix nodded slowly. "Ok, let's head over to the security office!"

* * *

><p><em>Court Record:<em>

_Evidence_

_Attorney's Badge – No one would believe I was a defense attorney if I didn't carry this._

_Switchblade Knife – The murder weapon. Carries traces of the victim's blood._

_Ruka's Sketch – A drawing by the defendant depicting a shadow attacking the victim and the defendant holding out a knife._

_Blood Stains – Three small splotches of blood found on the floor of Block B of the Parking Garage._

_Manager's Note – A note written by the manager firing Larry Butz for deleting all the security videos taken the day of the crime._

_Maddie's Autopsy Report – Estimated time of death: January 23, 8:02 PM. Cause of death: loss of blood from one stab wound to the chest._

_Crime Scene Photo #1 – Depicts the victim lying dead on the ground of the parking garage._

_Crime Scene Photo #2 – Depicts the defendant lying unconscious near the crime scene._

_Parking Garage Map – Check for details._

_Bleach – Traces found at the real crime scene. Reacts to Luminol in the same way that blood does._

_German Serial Killings Essay – "With the outstanding lack of legitimate evidence and the failure of Germany's prosecutors to convict the real criminal… the obvious conclusion is that the real criminal has close ties to law enforcement or is a part of law enforcement."_

_Profiles_

_Trucy Wright, 16 years old – My assistant and my boss's daughter. A magician who recently inherited the great Magnifi Gramarye's trade._

_Phoenix Wright, 34 years old – My boss, a defense attorney who lost his badge after being accused of fabricating evidence. He recently regained his defense attorney's badge, but he has to watch five of my trials before he can officially practice again._

_Maya Fey, 27 years old – Mr. Wright's old assistant and the master of the Kurain Channeling Technique. She's been dropping by the Wright Anything Agency a lot ever since Mr. Wright got back his badge. _

_Pearl Fey, 17 years old – Maya's younger cousin and an old client of mine. Usually hangs out with Trucy and me whenever she visits the Agency. Like Maya, can also channel the dead._

_Ema Skye, 26 years old – An avid scientist turned detective who was formerly employed under prosecutor Klavier Gavin._

_Klarissa von Karma, 41 years old – A prosecutor who recently moved here from Germany after her sister was promoted to chief prosecutor. _

_Klavier Gavin, 25 years old – A rock star turned prosecutor from Germany. Recently took a year-long vacation after convicting his best friend and his brother of murder to the first degree._

_Mina Asou, 19 years old – A university student dragged to Gavin's concert by her two friends. A photography major who previously did a fashion shoot._

_Maddie Thompson, 19 years old – A university student, and the victim in this case. Wrote an essay detailing her thoughts on a serial killing in Germany that was published in the Los Angeles Times._

_Ruka Mills, 19 years old – A university student, and the prime suspect in this case. An anthropology major who previously studied abroad in Japan._

_Franziska von Karma, 27 years old – The chief prosecutor, and Klarissa's younger sister._

_Larry Butz, 33 years old – Mr. Wright's old friend and the security guard who was on duty the night of the murder._

_Mia Fey, Deceased – Mr. Wright's old dead mentor who's back from the dead to help us with this case._

_Angel Starr, 41 years old – A woman known as the "Cough-up Queen" who claims to have seen something related to the case on the day of the murder._

_Tyrell Badd,68 years old – A veteran (now retired) detective who was incarcerated for his affiliation with the Yatagarasu._

XX

**Yeahh, I know my updates are slow. Deal with it, please. My goal is to finish this before June… Sooooo any theories? Any questions? Let me know in your review!**


	23. Songs for a New Turnabout: Part 8

_January 25, 3:15 PM_

_Parking Garage_

_Security Office_

"Nick, you've really got to see this!" Larry yelled as Phoenix and Maya entered the security office. "I found this under the keyboard, and I checked with the other guards, and it didn't belong to any of them!" He waved a single white card in their faces. Phoenix took the card and frowned at it.

"I never thought I'd see this card again," he muttered quietly.

"I remember…" Maya whispered as she took the card from him. On the card was a pink shell with a swirl on it, and drawn on it were eyes, a mouth, and a series of spikes protruding from one side. "I drew this when Shelley de Killer was holding me captive. It's his calling card, right?"

"Wait," Phoenix interrupted. "_You_ drew this."

"Yeah," Maya replied, handing the card back to Phoenix. He continued to stare intently at the card.

"Detective Gumshoe said that he managed to recover four pieces of evidence during State v. Engarde," Phoenix said, "but I only received three: a pistol, a video tape, and a bellboy's uniform." He turned the card over a few times. "He said the fourth and final piece of evidence was lost, but…"

"Nick, you don't think…" Maya whispered, covering her mouth with one hand.

"Gumshoe?" Phoenix asked. "Hell no. If it really was him, he would have slipped up a million times by now. No, I'm talking about someone else, the person who delivered the evidence to me in court that day."

"Who?" Larry asked.

"Franziska von Karma," Maya answered.

"Franzy?" Larry yelled incredulously. "No way! She wouldn't…"

"She _has_ changed a lot," Phoenix pointed out. "Maybe for the worse…"

"Franzy would _never_ kill someone!" Larry insisted.

"She's too proud to stoop that low," Maya agreed, "even if she _has_ changed."

"The crime scene's too perfect," Phoenix said. "There wasn't even a shred of incriminating evidence… not a single fingerprint. She even deleted all the security videos. We've been running in circles from day one."

"But Nick, Franziska wouldn't—" Maya began.

"She gave us full access to both crime scenes without even putting up a fight," Phoenix continued, as if Maya hadn't said a word. "Tell me, Maya, since when has she been our best friend?"

"Um, never," Maya answered, "but maybe Mr. Edgeworth—"

"Edgeworth doesn't have anything to do with this," Phoenix said flatly. "If he did, he would have called or dropped by the office or done _something_ by now."

"Nick, do you really think Franziska of all people would resort to _murder_?" Maya asked incredulously.

"I have an idea…" Phoenix mused as he turned the card over again, "and it'll definitely give us an advantage in court tomorrow." Suddenly, his cell phone began to ring. He flipped it open and held it to his ear. "Wright speaking."

"Mr. Wright!" Apollo yelled from the other line. "You have to come to the detention center right now!"

"Did you find out anything from Mina?" Phoenix asked.

"Not _from_ Mina, _about_ Mina!" Apollo corrected. "She's _dead_!"

"What?" Phoenix asked, his eyes widening in shock.

"Nick, what happened?" Maya asked frantically. Phoenix waved his arm at her dismissively.

"Look, I think I know who the real killer is," Phoenix said. "I'll explain everything when I get there." _I'm going out on a limb here, but… it's so obvious!_

"Just hurry!" Apollo yelled. Phoenix ended the call with a click and quickly pocketed his phone.

"We need to go to the detention center," Phoenix said hurriedly. "Mina's just been killed."

"What?" Maya yelled. "How? When? Why?"

"I don't know," Phoenix said. "Thanks for your help, Larry."

"Don't mention it, Nick!" Larry replied. "Now hurry up and crack this case!"

_Shelley de Killer Calling Card added to Court Record._

* * *

><p><em>January 25, 3:35 PM<em>

_Detention Center_

"Mr. Wright!"

"Daddy!"

"Mr. Nick!"

_Well, glad to see everyone's here._

Phoenix walked over to Apollo, Trucy, and Pearl. "Just calm down," he said, "and tell me what happened."

"We got a call from Ema while we were investigating the crime scene," Apollo explained. "We didn't really see anything."

"Why were you investigating the crime scene again?" Phoenix asked. "I thought I told you to talk to the witness."

"We did, Mr. Nick!" Pearl interjected, "but we ran into Ms. von Karma, and she said that Mina was in questioning."

"She told us to go talk to Polly's neighbor and get him to help us investigate," Trucy concluded. Phoenix frowned.

"Why Apollo's neighbor?" he asked. Apollo rolled his eyes.

"I think she got some of the facts mixed up," he said. "She told us to get a second opinion from a retired detective."

"Who happens to be your neighbor," Phoenix clarified. Apollo nodded.

"Yes," he answered. "So did you really find out who the real killer is?"

"First tell me what happened here," Phoenix said. Ema and Klavier suddenly walked up to them, both of them looking rather exhausted.

"I don't believe it," Ema said. "Mina was so insistent on getting Ruka a full acquittal. Why would she…"

"Maybe the pressure was too much for her to handle, ja?" Klavier retorted.

"No way," Ema refuted. "When someone you care about is in trouble, you don't just abandon them by committing suicide, no matter how tough things are for you. You just don't."

"So she committed suicide then," Phoenix guessed.

"That's what it looks like, Herr Wright," Klavier explained. "Her throat was slit."

"And her fingerprints are all over the knife in question," Ema added.

"Does Ruka know?" Maya asked quietly.

"No," Ema replied with a heavy sigh. "I don't know how I'm going to break the news to her…"

"I'll go with you," Klavier volunteered. Ema gave him a half-hearted smile before walking away, Klavier following close behind.

"Suicide, my ass," Phoenix muttered darkly.

"Wh-What?" Trucy asked.

"Isn't it obvious?" Phoenix asked, smirking. "Ema was right. There's no way Mina would take her own life with her best friend on trial for murder. She just wouldn't. No, she was _murdered_, and the crime scene was rearranged to make it look like she committed suicide."

"Well, there's only one way to find out," Pearl said quietly before closing her eyes and clasping her hands together. Within a few seconds, she grew a few inches taller and a bit thinner. When she opened her eyes, they were dark brown.

"Wh-What?" Mina's voice gasped. "What's going on? I…" She gazed down at Pearl's purple robes. "What am I _wearing_?"

"Miss Asou, please don't be alarmed," Phoenix said calmly. "You're currently being channeled by a spirit medium."

"I'm being channeled?" Mina asked. "You mean that kind of thing actually exists?"

"Surely you've heard of the Kurain Channeling Technique," Maya said in an unnaturally calm voice. "Well I am the master presiding over it." She grinned, instantly reverting back to her old personality. "Maya Fey, at your service!"

"No way…" Mina whispered. "I thought that was just a myth! I just… this can't be _real_…"

"Well then, Mina, do you think you could tell us what happened?" Apollo asked. "How did you die?"

"Someone slit my throat," Mina answered, crossing her arms and frowning. "Isn't that obvious?

"Yes, but by _who_?" Trucy asked.

"I…" Mina began as she stared up at the ceiling. "I don't know… I didn't see the person's face, because whoever it was did it from behind."

"Well who was the last person you spoke to?" Maya asked gently.

"von Karma," Mina whispered.

"Which one?" Trucy asked.

"The chief prosecutor," Mina replied. "She just asked me if I really believed that Ruka was innocent, and then she left."

"And that, Apollo, is the real mastermind behind this case," Phoenix said. "Franziska von Karma."

"What?" Apollo yelled. "That's crazy! She wouldn't—"

"Now all we have to do is prove that in court tomorrow," Phoenix continued.

_Now I knew for a fact that my theory was correct, and with a jury deciding the fate of our defendant, there was no way the real criminal would be able to escape, but… what really happened that day? Why did von Karma kill two innocent college students? Does the German serial killing case have anything to do with this case? I guess we'll find out in court tomorrow…_

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

><p><em>Court Record:<em>

_Evidence_

_Attorney's Badge – No one would believe I was a defense attorney if I didn't carry this._

_Switchblade Knife – The murder weapon. Carries traces of the victim's blood._

_Ruka's Sketch – A drawing by the defendant depicting a shadow attacking the victim and the defendant holding out a knife._

_Blood Stains – Three small splotches of blood found on the floor of Block B of the Parking Garage._

_Manager's Note – A note written by the manager firing Larry Butz for deleting all the security videos taken the day of the crime._

_Maddie's Autopsy Report – Estimated time of death: January 23, 8:02 PM. Cause of death: loss of blood from one stab wound to the chest._

_Crime Scene Photo #1 – Depicts the victim lying dead on the ground of the parking garage._

_Crime Scene Photo #2 – Depicts the defendant lying unconscious near the crime scene._

_Parking Garage Map – Check for details._

_Bleach – Traces found at the real crime scene. Reacts to Luminol in the same way that blood does._

_German Serial Killings Essay – "With the outstanding lack of legitimate evidence and the failure of Germany's prosecutors to convict the real criminal… the obvious conclusion is that the real criminal has close ties to law enforcement or is a part of law enforcement."_

_Shelley de Killer Calling Card – A card bearing the print of a pink shell. Has the face of Mr. Wright drawn on it in black pen._

_Profiles_

_Trucy Wright, 16 years old – My assistant and my boss's daughter. A magician who recently inherited the great Magnifi Gramarye's trade._

_Phoenix Wright, 34 years old – My boss, a defense attorney who lost his badge after being accused of fabricating evidence. He recently regained his defense attorney's badge, but he has to watch five of my trials before he can officially practice again._

_Maya Fey, 27 years old – Mr. Wright's old assistant and the master of the Kurain Channeling Technique. She's been dropping by the Wright Anything Agency a lot ever since Mr. Wright got back his badge. _

_Pearl Fey, 17 years old – Maya's younger cousin and an old client of mine. Usually hangs out with Trucy and me whenever she visits the Agency. Like Maya, can also channel the dead._

_Ema Skye, 26 years old – An avid scientist turned detective who was formerly employed under prosecutor Klavier Gavin._

_Klarissa von Karma, 41 years old – A prosecutor who recently moved here from Germany after her sister was promoted to chief prosecutor. _

_Klavier Gavin, 25 years old – A rock star turned prosecutor from Germany. Recently took a year-long vacation after convicting his best friend and his brother of murder to the first degree._

_Mina Asou, 19 years old – A university student dragged to Gavin's concert by her two friends. A photography major who previously did a fashion shoot._

_Maddie Thompson, 19 years old – A university student, and the victim in this case. Wrote an essay detailing her thoughts on a serial killing in Germany that was published in the Los Angeles Times._

_Ruka Mills, 19 years old – A university student, and the prime suspect in this case. An anthropology major who previously studied abroad in Japan._

_Franziska von Karma, 27 years old – The chief prosecutor, and Klarissa's younger sister._

_Larry Butz, 33 years old – Mr. Wright's old friend and the security guard who was on duty the night of the murder._

_Mia Fey, Deceased – Mr. Wright's old dead mentor who's back from the dead to help us with this case._

_Angel Starr, 41 years old – A woman known as the "Cough-up Queen" who claims to have seen something related to the case on the day of the murder._

_Tyrell Badd, 68 years old – A veteran (now retired) detective who was incarcerated for his affiliation with the Yatagarasu._


	24. Songs for a New Turnabout: Part 9

**How do I even begin to explain Ema Skye?**

**Gant: Ema Skye is flawless.**

**Phoenix: She has two bottles of Luminol and six fingerprinting sets.**

**Edgeworth: I hear her glasses are insured for ten thousand dollars.**

**Gumshoe: I heard she investigates crime scenes before the forensics team even gets to them.**

**Kristoph: Her favorite show is Bill Nye the Science Guy.**

**Trucy: One time she met Klavier Gavin at the precinct, and he told her she was pretty.**

**Apollo: One time she punched me in the face… It was awesome!**

**I was watching Mean Girls the other day and thought of Ema at this part… Now that **_**that's**_** over and done with, let's get on with the chapter!**

XX

_January 26, 9:50 AM_

_District Court_

_Defendant Lobby No. 1_

Phoenix crossed his arms and stood in one corner of the defendant lobby. _Apollo's late_, he thought as he glanced over at the defendant. Her face was milky white, and her eyes were swollen. _I wonder how she's taking Mina's death…_ "Daddy!" Trucy yelled. "Where's Apollo? Court's going to start in ten minutes! Where is he?"

"Trucy, you're scaring our client," Phoenix said calmly. "Don't worry, Ms. Mills. Apollo's going to show up for sure." Ruka nodded, but said nothing. Suddenly, the doors to the defendant lobby swung open as a boy with dark brown hair, square-rimmed glasses and light blue eyes walked into the room.

"Sorry I'm late," he apologized. "I was reviewing our case." Trucy covered her mouth with one hand.

"Who are you?" she asked. The boy's face turned red, and he scratched the back of his head.

"Oh right," he mumbled. "I didn't get to put on my contacts or gel my hair this morning."

"Apollo?" Trucy gasped. "Your eyes are _blue_?"

"Yeah…" Apollo replied slowly. "It's a long story, so don't ask why."

"But they're so _pretty_!" Trucy gushed as she leaned in to stare at them. Phoenix smirked to himself. _Now he looks a lot like his father._

"By the way, Mr. Wright," Apollo continued, "I went over the court record a million times. There's no way the chief prosecutor could have—"

"Could have what?" Franziska von Karma stood behind him.

"O-Oh!" Apollo gasped. "Ms. von Karma!"

"I couldn't have done what?" Franziska asked again.

"N-Nothing!" Apollo replied shakily.

"What are you doing here, Franziska?" Phoenix asked, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"I came to watch the court proceedings," she answered smoothly. She frowned as she glanced around the defendant lobby. "I was under the impression that Maya and Pearl Fey would be joining you today."

"No, they're just watching today," Phoenix replied warily. Franziska smiled gently at Apollo.

"Well, good luck, Mr. Justice," she said. "You're going to need it."

* * *

><p><em>January 26, 10:00 AM<em>

_District Court_

_Courtroom No. 2_

The judge banged down his gavel to silence the spectators in the courtroom. "Court will now reconvene for the trial of Ms. Ruka Mills," he announced. "Yesterday, a witness testified that the crime scene was the A block of the parking garage, and not the B block as we all thought."

"The prosecution has looked into this matter and found no evidence proving such a fact," Klarissa said.

"**OBJECTION!**" Apollo yelled, slamming his fists down on the table. "The defense has looked into the matter as well, and found evidence that the crime did, in fact, take place in the A block of the parking garage." The judge's eyes widened as they drifted over to the defense's bench.

"Mr. Wright! Where is Mr. Justice?" he asked Apollo's eyes narrowed down into slits.

"I _am_ Mr. Justice, Your Honor," he grumbled. "I usually wear contacts, but I didn't today." _Is that so wrong?_

"Well then show us this evidence you were speaking of," Klarissa demanded, snapping her fingers. Apollo pulled out the bleach bottle he found earlier.

"**TAKE THAT!**" he yelled. "This bottle of bleach was found in the A block of the parking garage."

"So?" Klarissa asked.

"Well doesn't it strike you as odd?" Apollo asked. "Why would there be bleach there, of all places?" Klarissa snapped her fingers.

"I say it is unrelated to this current case," she announced.

"**OBJECTION!**" Apollo countered. "Perhaps it would be better if… Ema Skye explained the significance of this discovery?"

"Calling the witnesses," Phoenix said quietly. "Nice work, Apollo."

"That is," Apollo continued, "if the prosecution has no objections."

"None whatsoever," Klarissa replied.

"Ok then," Apollo said, nodding. "Ema Skye, please take the stand."

"W-Wait a minute, Mr. Justice!" the judge interrupted. "I'm supposed to say that!" Apollo's face turned red as he scratched the back of his head and grinned sheepishly.

"Sorry, Your Honor," he apologized. "I guess I just got carried away." The judge cleared his throat dramatically.

"Ema Skye, please take the stand!" he repeated, a bit more forcefully. Within less than a minute, Ema stood at the witness stand. "Witness, please testify about the significance of this bottle of bleach found at the crime scene."

"All right," Ema replied.

* * *

><p><em><span>Witness Testimony: The Bleach Bottle<span>_

_We found this at the A block of the parking garage yesterday, as you already know._

_But there's more to it than what meets the eye._

_Scientifically speaking, bleach reacts to Luminol, the testing fluid we use to test for blood stains._

_This is just speculation on my part, but the real killer probably knew about this and used the bleach to cover her tracks._

* * *

><p>The judge closed his eyes pensively. "So ordinary bleach produces the same reaction as blood when tested with Luminol?" he asked.<p>

"Unfortunately, Your Honor," Ema replied, playing with a strand of her hair.

"Very well," the judge continued. "Mr. Justice, you may now cross-examine the witness." Apollo frowned determinedly and nodded. _The jury should already be divided on this case; I bet half of them already believe that Ruka's innocent. All I have to do is plant the seed of doubt in the rest of the jurors' minds that Ruka didn't commit this murder!_

* * *

><p><em><span>Cross-Examination<span>_

_We found this at the A block of the—_

**OBJECTION!**

"Your Honor, I do not see how this is relevant," Klarissa said.

"**OBJECTION!**" Apollo countered, slamming his fists down on the table. "It _is_ relevant! How can it not be when—"

"**OBJECTION!**" Klarissa shot back. "Yesterday, this court acknowledged that the A block of the parking garage was _possibly_ the crime scene. Unless you can come up with irrefutable evidence that—"

"**OBJECTION!**" Apollo yelled. "I'm sorry, but I believe your memory is failing you. Yesterday, a witness _clearly_ testified that the real crime scene was the A block, not the B block."

"**OBJECTION!**" Klarissa yelled. "That witness was—"

"**OBJECTION!**" Apollo interrupted. "I wasn't finished yet!" He slammed his fists down on the table. "That witness is a homicide detective! Why would she lie about—"

"**OBJECTION!**"Klarissa cut across. "So a third person murdered the victim and framed the defendant? And a fourth person saw them do this? Oh, maybe a fifth person can testify for us about this! And then a sixth person can—"

"**OBJECTION!**" Apollo yelled.

"**OBJECTION!**" Klarissa yelled back.

"**OBJECTION!**" Apollo countered, slamming his fists down.

"**OBJECTION!**" Klarissa yelled, snapping her fingers.

"**OBJECTION!**" the judge yelled. "D-Don't I get a say in this?"

"**OBJECTION!**" Apollo and Klarissa shouted simultaneously.

"**OBJECTION!**" There was pin-drop silence after that.

"Wh-Who said that?" the judge stammered.

"I did!" Phoenix called. "When did this turn from a murder trial to a shouting match?" He stuck his pointer finger out at Klarissa. "Ms. von Karma, unless you can produce proof that the crime occurred, without a doubt, at the B block of the parking garage, our claim that the real crime scene was the A block stands!" Klarissa began to sweat profusely, before finally breaking down and screaming. The people in the gallery began murmuring loudly to each other, and the judge banged down his gavel.

"Order!" he yelled. "Order! Order in the court!"

"I thought so," Phoenix said softly, a smirk painted on his face. "Your Honor, the defense would like to call another witness."

"Th-This is absurd!" Klarissa stammered. "Since when does the defense—"

"The security guard in charge the night of the murder, Mr. Larry Butz!" Phoenix announced.

"How come I've never met this guy?" Apollo whispered.

"Don't worry," Phoenix assured him. "He's a friend of mine, and he's helped me out in a lot of tight spots." After a few minutes, a man with spiky hair and an orange sweatshirt stood at the witness stand.

"So you finally need my help again, Nick?" the man prodded.

"Don't flatter yourself, Larry," Phoenix replied a bit sternly.

"Remind me again how exactly this is relevant, Mr. Wright," the judge said.

"This man, Larry Butz, is a security guard and was on duty the night of the murder," he replied. "I believe his testimony is vital to this case."

"Very well then," the judge said. "Witness, please testify about the night of the murder.

* * *

><p><em><span>Witness Testimony: The Security Guard<span>_

_Um… I… didn't really see anything._

_Nothing ever happens in the parking garage during fancy concerts like this, you know?_

_Actually, I didn't even know there was a murder until the next day when Nick told me._

_But there was _definitely_ something weird going on._

_When I checked the next day, all the security videos from the day of the murder were gone!_

* * *

><p>"Mr. Justice, you may now cross examine the witness," the judge announced. <em>Why didn't Mr. Wright tell me about this guy?<em> Apollo thought. _He didn't… manipulate him in some way… did he?_

"Before you ask, no I didn't strike any sort of bargain with the witness before today's trial," Phoenix said flatly. _What is he, a mind reader?_

* * *

><p><em><span>Cross-Examination<span>_

_Um… I… didn't really see anything._

_Nothing ever happens in the parking garage during fancy concerts like this, you know?_

_Actually, I didn't even know there was a murder until the next day when Nick told me._

_But there was _definitely_ something weird going on._

_When I checked the next day, all the security videos from the day of the murder were gone!_

**HOLD IT!**

"Gone?" Apollo repeated.

"Every last one," Larry affirmed. "Someone erased them."

"**OBJECTION!**" Klarissa yelled, snapping her fingers. "And I suppose that you had nothing to do with the disappearance of the security videos?"

"Hey!" Larry yelled. "I didn't erase them! I'm only supposed to erase them when there's nothing weird on them!"

"And a murder _definitely _qualifies as 'something weird'," Phoenix added.

"I thought someone else erased them for me," Larry said. "Makes my job a little easier, y'know?"

"So you figured that something was up when Mr. Wright told you that there was a murder," Apollo clarified.

"Yeah!" Larry yelled.

"Your Honor," Apollo began dramatically as he pointed his finger outward. "The defense proposes that the one who erased the videos in the security office was the one who murdered Maddie Thompson!"

"**OBJECTION!**" Klarissa refuted. "There is no evidence proving that Mr. Larry Butz is telling the truth."

"**OBJECTION!**" Apollo shot back. "This is a court of law!" He slammed down his fists and leaned forward. "The witness's testimony holds as much water as evidence!"

"Gah!" Klarissa shrieked. The spectators in the courtroom began mumbling to each other, and the judge banged down his gavel.

"Order!" he shouted. "Order in the court! Mr. Justice, explain yourself!"

"It's quite simple, Your Honor," Apollo said, pressing a finger to his forehead. "Let's recap what we know about this case shall we?" He pulled out the map of the parking garage. "As Ms. Starr testified yesterday, two girls, the victim and the defendant, were attacked in the A block of the parking garage. Later, a woman was seen carrying their bodies out of the A block to the B block, where their bodies were originally found. Then, in no particular order, to cover up her tracks, this woman poured bleach all over the floor in the A block so that Luminol wouldn't be able to detect any traces of blood and erased all the security videos taken on the day of the murder."

"And who, pray tell, is this mysterious woman?" Klarissa asked.

"We don't know," Apollo replied, "and, frankly, it's not really our job to find out who the real culprit is. Our job is to prove Ruka Mills innocent, and I believe we have done a sufficient job. The defense rests."

"Very well," the judge said. "If the prosecution has no more objections, I will hand this trial over to the jury." Klarissa was silent for a few seconds.

"No objections," she said finally.

"Very well," the judge continued. "I will now—"

"**OBJECTION!**" Phoenix shouted. "Your Honor, it would be downright foolish to end this trial prematurely. The defense seeks one thing only, and that is the truth!"

"Mr. Wright!" Apollo hissed. "What do you think you're doing?"

"A common mistake of most defense attorneys, Apollo," Phoenix said, "is that they strive to get their clients a 'not guilty' verdict at all costs, regardless of whether or not the client is truly innocent."

"But Ruka _is_ innocent!" Apollo refuted.

"**HOLD IT!**" Larry shouted. "I just remembered something! I need to add something to my testimony!"

"Well then, out with it," Klarissa snapped.

"I found something at the security office!" Larry announced.

"Where you work?" Apollo asked.

"Yup!" Larry replied. "Can I add that to my testimony?"

"Absolutely," the judge said, nodding.

* * *

><p><em><span>Witness Testimony: What was Found at the Security Office<span>_

_After I found out that someone wiped out all the security videos, I kinda panicked and checked the security office for clues._

_I found this card there, on the floor._

_I gave it to Nick yesterday, 'cause I think he knows who it belongs to._

* * *

><p>"Well in that case, why didn't you testify yesterday?" Apollo asked. "We could have ended this trial yesterday if—"<p>

"**OBJECTION!**" Klarissa cut him off. "Save the useless banter for later, Mr. Apollo Justice." She snapped her fingers. "Now cross-examine the witness!"

* * *

><p><em><span>Cross-Examination<span>_

_After I found out that someone wiped out all the security videos, I kinda panicked and checked the security office for clues._

_I found this card there, on the floor._

**HOLD IT!**

"What kind of card was it?" Apollo asked.

"This is it, Your Honor," Phoenix said, holding up a card with a pink shell and a face drawn on it in black. And at the bottom was…

"What?" Apollo gasped. "Mr. Wright, what is _your_ name doing on here?" Phoenix chuckled.

"There's a story behind that, believe me," he assured him.

"And why do you have it anyway?" Apollo asked.

"Well, that's because…" Larry replied.

* * *

><p><em>I gave it to Nick yesterday, 'cause I think he knows who it belongs to.<em>

**HOLD IT!**

"And do you know who it belongs to, Mr. Wright?" Apollo asked.

"Technically, it's Maya's, because she's the one that drew it," Phoenix replied, "or maybe it should be mine, because my name is on it. But no. Let's just say this was evidence in a murder trial a while back, or at least the owner of this card _thought_ it was evidence. That person, on the second day of the State v. Engarde trial delivered three pieces of evidence to me: a pistol, a hotel uniform, and a video tape. I don't think she knew about the existence of this card when she gave me the evidence, but I'm pretty sure she found it later. That person is…"

"von Karma," Apollo whispered. "Mr. Wright, no."

"Franziska von Karma," Phoenix finished.

"Mr. Wright!" the judge gasped. "Franziska von Karma is—"

"The chief prosecutor," Klarissa finished. "Mr. Phoenix Wright, are you insinuating that my sister is a murderer?"

"I'm just saying it's a possibility," Phoenix replied nonchalantly.

"**OBJECTION!**" Apollo yelled. "The defense withdraws that claim!"

"**OBJECTION!**" Phoenix countered. "No, the defense is sticking with that theory!"

"**OBJECTION!**" Apollo yelled.

"**OBJECTION!**" Phoenix yelled before Apollo could even open his mouth. The judge banged down his gavel.

"Mr. Wright!" he chastised. "I believe you have forgotten that Mr. Justice is Ms. Ruka Mills' defense attorney, _not_ you. Any more outbursts from you, and I will hold you in contempt of court!" There was pin drop silence in the courtroom. "Now I will give the defense some time to settle its affairs. Court is adjourned for a fifteen-minute recess!" The judge banged down his gavel one last time.

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

><p><em>Court Record:<em>

_Evidence_

_Attorney's Badge – No one would believe I was a defense attorney if I didn't carry this._

_Switchblade Knife – The murder weapon. Carries traces of the victim's blood._

_Ruka's Sketch – A drawing by the defendant depicting a shadow attacking the victim and the defendant holding out a knife._

_Blood Stains – Three small splotches of blood found on the floor of Block B of the Parking Garage._

_Manager's Note – A note written by the manager firing Larry Butz for deleting all the security videos taken the day of the crime._

_Maddie's Autopsy Report – Estimated time of death: January 23, 8:02 PM. Cause of death: loss of blood from one stab wound to the chest._

_Crime Scene Photo #1 – Depicts the victim lying dead on the ground of the parking garage._

_Crime Scene Photo #2 – Depicts the defendant lying unconscious near the crime scene._

_Parking Garage Map – Check for details._

_Bleach – Traces found at the real crime scene. Reacts to Luminol in the same way that blood does._

_German Serial Killings Essay – "With the outstanding lack of legitimate evidence and the failure of Germany's prosecutors to convict the real criminal… the obvious conclusion is that the real criminal has close ties to law enforcement or is a part of law enforcement."_

_Shelley de Killer Calling Card – A card bearing the print of a pink shell. Has the face of Mr. Wright drawn on it in black pen._

_Profiles_

_Trucy Wright, 16 years old – My assistant and my boss's daughter. A magician who recently inherited the great Magnifi Gramarye's trade._

_Phoenix Wright, 34 years old – My boss, a defense attorney who lost his badge after being accused of fabricating evidence. He recently regained his defense attorney's badge, but he has to watch five of my trials before he can officially practice again._

_Maya Fey, 27 years old – Mr. Wright's old assistant and the master of the Kurain Channeling Technique. She's been dropping by the Wright Anything Agency a lot ever since Mr. Wright got back his badge. _

_Pearl Fey, 17 years old – Maya's younger cousin and an old client of mine. Usually hangs out with Trucy and me whenever she visits the Agency. Like Maya, can also channel the dead._

_Ema Skye, 26 years old – An avid scientist turned detective who was formerly employed under prosecutor Klavier Gavin._

_Klarissa von Karma, 41 years old – A prosecutor who recently moved here from Germany after her sister was promoted to chief prosecutor. _

_Klavier Gavin, 25 years old – A rock star turned prosecutor from Germany. Recently took a year-long vacation after convicting his best friend and his brother of murder to the first degree._

_Mina Asou, 19 years old – A university student dragged to Gavin's concert by her two friends. A photography major who previously did a fashion shoot._

_Maddie Thompson, 19 years old – A university student, and the victim in this case. Wrote an essay detailing her thoughts on a serial killing in Germany that was published in the Los Angeles Times._

_Ruka Mills, 19 years old – A university student, and the prime suspect in this case. An anthropology major who previously studied abroad in Japan._

_Franziska von Karma, 27 years old – The chief prosecutor, and Klarissa's younger sister._

_Larry Butz, 33 years old – Mr. Wright's old friend and the security guard who was on duty the night of the murder._

_Mia Fey, Deceased – Mr. Wright's old dead mentor who's back from the dead to help us with this case._

_Angel Starr, 41 years old – A woman known as the "Cough-up Queen" who claims to have seen something related to the case on the day of the murder._

_Tyrell Badd, 68 years old – A veteran (now retired) detective who was incarcerated for his affiliation with the Yatagarasu._

XX

**Yay for a badass Polly! PLEASE REVIEW and tell me about any theories you have on where this case is headed!**


	25. Songs for a New Turnabout: Part 10

_January 26, 10:48 AM_

_District Court_

_Defendant Lobby No. 1_

"What the hell was that?" Apollo yelled the second the door closed.

"I told you my theory, didn't I Apollo?" Phoenix retorted calmly. "This card is—"

"I don't care about the stupid card!" Apollo interrupted. "For all I know, you could have forged that! Ms. von Karma didn't—"

"Did you just accuse me of forging evidence?" Phoenix asked, his eyebrows slightly furrowed, his voice scarily calm. Apollo stood on his toes and glared at his mentor.

"Yeah, I just did," he hissed.

"Mr. Wright, a minute, please." Apollo turned to see Franziska standing behind him, and apologies began tumbling out of his mouth.

"Ms. von Karma, I'm really sorry," he said immediately. "I really don't think you're a murderer, and—"

"But that card _was_ mine," she pointed out, raising one eyebrow.

"Yeah, by the way, why didn't you ever give that back to me?" Phoenix wondered.

"The next time I saw you, we were investigating a murder," she replied, her eyes averting to the floor. "It slipped my mind." Apollo's bracelet suddenly tightened. "However, I can't say why it was found in the security office."

"Why not?" Apollo asked.

"Because I was never there," she replied. "I never once set foot in the security office. This isn't even my case."

"But it's your sister's," Phoenix objected. "You could be helping her out in the investigation."

"Mr. Wright, I do not have enough free time to help my sister investigate a crime scene," Franziska said flatly, her hand drifting up to her right shoulder. Her eyes flickered to the ceiling, and Apollo clenched his fists. _Why did she react like that?_ he thought. _She touched her shoulder… and then she looked at the ceiling… but she wasn't lying just now. The only thing she lied about was the reason for not giving Mr. Wright back his card, but I don't think that's relevant to this case._ "Mr. Justice, I would appreciate if you stopped staring at me like that."

"Oh!" Apollo gasped. "S-Sorry…"

"And another thing you should know," Franziska continued, "is that I was at my office the night of the murder. I never attended Gavin's concert." Phoenix chuckled.

"You're so predictable, Franziska," he said light-heartedly. "I'm not _really_ accusing you, you know?"

"You're _not_?" Apollo and Franziska asked simultaneously.

"B-But…" Apollo stuttered. "I thought…"

"Things are fitting together nicely," Phoenix said, "but the trial is moving too quickly. I need more time. Apollo, sorry about the way I acted in the courtroom. You were great in there." Apollo felt his face heat up, and he scratched the back of his face and grinned.

"Oh…" he mumbled awkwardly. "Thanks… but really, what more is there to this case? I mean, it's pretty obvious that Ruka's innocent, and it's not really our job to find out who really killed Maddie, so…"

"Mr. Justice, how do you think Mina Asou will feel, not knowing the truth?" Franziska asked.

"Mina's _dead_," Apollo pointed out.

"Well, yeah, but that doesn't mean I can't testify." Apollo saw Mina at the doorway, clad in the purple robes of the master of the Kurain Channeling Technique, her hair black instead of dark brown.

"M-Mina!" he gasped. "You… You're…" Apollo felt tears well up in his eyes.

"I know," she said. "Spirit channeling's great, isn't it?" Apollo chocked on a sob, and Mina raised her eyebrows in disbelief and amusement. "Mr. Justice, are you actually_ crying_?"

"Sorry, Miss Asou," Phoenix said smoothly, "but Apollo tends to get a bit emotional."

"Anyway, there's still _my_ murder we have to clear up," she continued, crossing her arms over Maya's chest. "I _definitely_ didn't commit suicide. I'd never ditch Ruka like that. I'm positive someone killed me, but I don't know who. I'll bet you anything I was killed so that I couldn't testify. Maybe… maybe the person who killed me killed Maddie and framed Ruka."

"But we don't even know who killed you in the first place!" Apollo protested.

"I'm pretty sure _you're_ the last person I spoke to last night," Mina said, pointing to Franziska. Franziska raised her eyebrows in disbelief.

"I'm sorry, but I believe this is the first time we're speaking," Franziska refuted.

"Wh-What?" Mina gasped. "But… I'm sure it was you! Long blue hair, glasses—"

"My sister fits that description as well," Franziska pointed out.

"Do you think you could have just mixed them up?" Phoenix asked.

"No way!" Mina yelled. "The person I spoke to looked way younger than the other Ms. von Karma!" Phoenix sighed.

"Oh boy," he mumbled. "Franziska, you're screwed. You look guilty either way."

"I'm well aware of that, Mr. Wright!" Franziska snapped, crossing her arms, tapping one arm with her fingers. _This isn't good…_ Apollo thought. _The chief prosecutor's innocent, but… is there really a way to prove Ruka innocent without accusing her?_

* * *

><p><em>January 26, 11:00 AM<em>

_District Court_

_Courtroom No. 2_

The judge banged down his gavel. "Court will now reconvene for the trial of Ms. Ruka Mills," he announced. "Mr. Justice, Mr. Wright, have you come to an understanding?" Apollo nodded.

"Yes, Your Honor," Apollo answered.

"Now without further ado, I would like to—" the judge began.

"**OBJECTION!**" The judge glanced around the courtroom.

"Wh-Who said that?" he stammered.

"I did, Your Honor." Klavier stood at the witness stand.

"Gavin!" Apollo gasped. _What's he doing here?_

"Yesterday, the primary witness in this case, Fraulein Asou was found dead after questioning," Klavier said. "Her throat was slit. Her fingerprints were on the knife in question, leading people to believe that she committed suicide." He frowned. "This. Is. False."

"We already know that," Apollo muttered impatiently.

"Found near her body was this card here," Klavier continued, holding up a white card with a pink shell. _Shelley de Killer Calling Card #2 Added to Court Record._

"Hey, wait a minute!" Apollo yelled. "That's exactly like—"

"Like the card found in the security office, right?" Phoenix asked. "Only that one has my face and name on it. This one's authentic." Phoenix cleared his throat. "Your Honor, if I may…" He stepped over to the witness stand. "I'd like to testify about that card."

"You mean you've seen that card before, Mr. Wright?" the judge asked.

"Yes I have, Your Honor," Phoenix answered, "though for a different case."

"Very well," the judge said, nodding. "Mr. Wright, please testify to this court about the meaning of this card."

* * *

><p><em><span>Witness Testimony: The Card<span>_

_I ask the court to recall a certain case from nine years ago: State v. Engarde._

_It started out as any murder trial would – with Matt Engarde, the defendant, on trial for the murder of his rival Juan Corrida._

_But then this calling card came up in that case._

_At that point, the case was no longer treated as a murder, but as an assassination, and our top priority became finding de Killer's client._

* * *

><p>Apollo pressed a finger to his forehead in deep thought. <em>Everything hinges on this testimony. My bracelet didn't tighten… but I hope for Ruka's sake, Mr. Wright told the complete and total truth…<em>

* * *

><p><em><span>Cross-Examination<span>_

_I ask the court to recall a certain case from nine years ago: State v. Engarde._

**HOLD IT!**

"Was this one of the cases you handled?" Apollo asked.

"Yes," Phoenix answered.

"And was Ms. von Karma involved too?" Apollo asked.

"You're going to have to be more specific than that, Apollo," Phoenix muttered, staring off to the side. "Tell me, which von Karma are you referring to?"

"The chief prosecutor," Apollo answered. "Franziska von Karma."

"Her?" Phoenix asked. "Yeah, she was involved in the case, but unless you can prove how that's relevant to this case, you're out of luck." Apollo pulled out the other calling card with Phoenix's face drawn on it.

"**TAKE THAT!**" he shouted. "This is hers, isn't it? It's the same exact card as the one you have now, but your face is drawn on this one."

"I remember," Phoenix said. "We presented that not too long ago, didn't we?"

"So…" Apollo continued, sticking his finger out. "That establishes her relation to this case!"

"**OBJECTION!**" Phoenix yelled. "Sorry Apollo, but the owner of this calling card happens to get many clients. It's no surprise Franziska hung onto this card after that case, but it really doesn't have anything to do with _this_ case." Apollo hung his head in disappointment.

"Oh…" he mumbled.

"So what happened with this case?" the judge asked.

* * *

><p><em>It started out as any murder trial would – with Matt Engarde, the defendant, on trial for the murder of his rival Juan Corrida.<em>

**HOLD IT!**

"Do you think you could describe the circumstances of this case?" Apollo asked, pressing a finger to his forehead.

"Long story short," Phoenix began, "Juan Corrida was found dead in his hotel room with a knife bearing Engarde's fingerprints plunged in his chest and a button from Engarde's costume in his clothes. So as I was saying…"

* * *

><p><em>But then this calling card came up in that case.<em>

**HOLD IT!**

"How so?" Apollo asked.

"A witness, Engarde's manager, incidentally, had it," Phoenix explained. "It became obvious that the owner of this calling card was the true culprit, but…"

* * *

><p><em>At that point, the case was no longer treated as a murder, but as an assassination, and our top priority became finding de Killer's client.<em>

**HOLD IT!**

"Who's de Killer?" Apollo asked.

"Oh, I didn't go over this, did I?" Phoenix asked, staring off to the side. "Shelley de Killer… is the _owner_ of this calling card." The crowd broke into chatter, and the judge banged down his gavel.

"Order!" he yelled. "Order! Order in the court!"

"Or rather, this is his calling card," Phoenix continued. "Shelley de Killer is an assassin. An honorable one, but an assassin nonetheless." _How exactly can an assassin be _honorable_?_ Apollo thought. "You know what this means?" Phoenix smirked. "This is no longer a murder case. It's an _assassination._"

"**OBJECTION!**" Klarissa immediately interrupted, snapping her fingers. "I understand that Mina Asou was assassinated, but this has nothing to do with Maddie Thompson's murder."

"Yes it does!" Mina, in Maya's body, stood at the witness stand with her arms crossed. "My death has _everything_ to do with Maddie's." Suddenly, everyone in the courtroom burst out talking.

"What's going on?" one random spectator asked.

"Is that the witness from yesterday?" another piped up. "I thought they just said she died."

"Mommy, who is that?" a child asked. The judge banged down his gavel.

"Order!" he yelled. "Order in the court! B-But… Miss Asou!"

"Yes, Your Honor?" Mina replied innocently.

"Explain yourself!" the judge spluttered.

"It's quite simple, Your Honor," Phoenix said smoothly, taking his place next to Apollo at the defense's bench. "She's being channeled by the master of the Kurain Channeling Technique herself."

"Channeling?" the judge mumbled confusedly.

"Spirit channeling, Your Honor," Phoenix reiterated. "The women of the Fey clan can call back spirits of the dead temporarily, remember?"

"Oh, yes!" the judge gasped. "I remember!"

"**OBJECTION!**" Klarissa shouted. "I refuse to accept this… this… absurdity!"

"**OBJECTION!**" Phoenix countered. "Sorry Ms. von Karma, but the legitimacy of the Kurain Channeling Technique has already been established in this court several times."

"Your Honor, please let me testify," Mina begged. "Someone killed me to keep me from talking, and I won't let them get away with blaming Ruka for Maddie's murder!" The judge banged down his gavel.

"Very well," he said. "We will hear your testimony."

* * *

><p><em><span>Witness Testimony: The Assassination<span>_

_I was called in for questioning yesterday after the trial._

_I spoke with Ms. von Karma – the one standing over there – for a couple hours before the_ other_ Ms. von Karma – the chief prosecutor – took over._

_We didn't talk for that long, but just as she left, someone approached me from behind and slit my throat!_

_If it really was an assassin, I'll bet you anything that the person who hired him to kill me had him kill Maddie too!_

* * *

><p><em>This isn't good…<em> Apollo thought. _Chief prosecutor von Karma has an alibi, but it won't do her any good if this case is treated as an assassination! But… if this case is treated as an assassination, then proving Ruka innocent becomes so much easier!_

* * *

><p><em><span>Cross-Examination<span>_

_I was called in for questioning yesterday after the trial._

_I spoke with Ms. von Karma – the one standing over there – for a couple hours before the_ other_ Ms. von Karma – the chief prosecutor – took over._

**HOLD IT!**

"But Ms. von Karma – I mean chief prosecutor von Karma – said she never spoke to you until this morning in the defendant lobby," Apollo pointed out.

"I don't think I mixed her up with the other Ms. von Karma, though," Mina refuted. "I'm sure the second von Karma I talked to was way younger. Her voice even sounded different!"

"**OBJECTION!**" Phoenix yelled. "Miss Asou, as a girl, I'm sure you're well aware of the extent of modern cosmetics' benefits. Older women can easily hide their wrinkles with a simple face cream."

"**OBJECTION!**" Klarissa shouted. "A-Are you insinuating that _I_ had something to do with this witness's murder?" Apollo shook his head.

"Not at all," he replied, "just that you met with the victim – I mean the witness – not once, but _twice_ on the day of her murder!" There was noise in the courtroom, and the judge banged down his gavel.

"Order!" he yelled. "Order in the court! Mr. Justice, explain yourself!"

"It's quite simple, Your Honor," Apollo said. "Chief prosecutor von Karma said that she never once met the witness until this morning, as she was being channeled by the master of the Kurain Channeling Technique Maya Fey, but this contradicts the witness's testimony and therefore her memory."

"Perhaps the chief prosecutor lied?" the judge asked. Apollo shook his head.

"I'm afraid not," he refuted. "Ms. von Karma was telling the complete and total truth."

"**OBJECTION!**" Klarissa yelled before snapping her fingers. "And you know this _how_?"

"I just do," Apollo replied.

"That's not good enough, Apollo," Phoenix pointed out.

"I know," Apollo snapped back. "Usually when people lie, they develop strange habits, be it biting their nails, running their fingers through their hair, or the like." Apollo slammed his fists down on the table. "However, none of this occurred when I spoke with Ms. von Karma."

"**OBJECTION!**" Klarissa yelled. "I apologized, but my sister happens to be a very good liar." Apollo's bracelet tightened just as her eyes briefly drifted upward and her right middle finger twitched, and he smirked confidently. _Gotcha._

"I believe _you_ are the good liar here, Ms. von Karma," Apollo said.

"von Karma?" the judge asked. "Which one? The chief prosecutor?" Apollo shook his head.

"No, Your Honor," he replied. He then thrust his arm outward, pointing at Klarissa. "_The one standing at the prosecution's bench!_" The spectators in the courtroom began conversing nervously to each other, and the judge banged his gavel.

"Order!" he shouted. "Order! Order in the court! Mr. Justice, do you mean to say that Franziska von Karma is a very good liar?"

"_Klarissa_ von Karma, Your Honor," Apollo corrected. "Franziska von Karma is the chief prosecutor."

"Oh…" the judge mumbled. "Carry on, then."

"Just now, when Ms. von Karma stated that her sister was a very good liar," Apollo began dramatically, "her eyes briefly drifted upward and her right middle finger twitched. Ergo…" he slammed his fists down on the table. "_She is the liar here!_" Klarissa flinched, and beads of sweat began to roll down her face.

"Proof…" she whispered. "Do you have proof that I lied just now, Mr. Apollo Justice?" Apollo shook his head.

"That isn't something I can prove, Ms. von Karma," Apollo said. "I wouldn't have said anything if you just looked up, or just your finger twitched; I can't really make much of an argument with that. However, those two actions happened _simultaneously_. Each of them on its own could pass off as a coincidence, but two coincidences look more like a _pattern_ to me."

"**OBJECTION!**" Klarissa shouted. "Th-This… This is absurd!" Apollo crossed his arms and smirked.

"So you're admitting it then?" he asked. "You really did lie just now?" Her finger twitched again.

"Of course not!" she refuted. Apollo raised his eyebrows.

"Are you sure?" he asked. She glanced up.

"Of course," she replied.

"Gotcha." Klarissa's hands balled into fists.

"Wh-What is the meaning of this?" she spluttered. "I… I…"

"See?" Apollo asked. "You just did it again. You looked up and your finger twitched. Like I said before: happens once, and it's a coincidence; happens twice, and it's a pattern. You're just a big fat liar, aren't you, Ms. von Karma?"

"What I said about my sister is meaningless!" Klarissa insisted.

"Then why don't you tell us the truth?" Apollo prodded. "The whole truth. Did you meet again with the witness twice the day she died, disguising yourself as your sister?"

"Yes," Klarissa answered quietly, and thankfully, Apollo's bracelet didn't tighten.

"But… why?" Apollo asked. "It wouldn't really have changed anything… I don't think it even matters that you were the last person to speak to her yesterday."

"But since you disguised yourself as Franziska," Phoenix continued, "you were clearly trying to cover up something. Maybe you did something wrong, and you wanted to frame your sister for it?"

"I…" Klarissa mumbled, flinching. "I would never…" Apollo's bracelet tightened, and he calmly observed her eyes drift up and her middle finger twitch.

"See?" Apollo said. "Right there. You did it again. You looked up, and your middle finger twitched."

"**HOLD IT!**" Everyone's eyes flew to the witness stand, where Trucy stood. "I… I have something to say…"

"What is it, Trucy?" Phoenix asked gently.

"I can see this trial isn't going to end today," she said. "There are too many loose ends! Too many questions left unanswered, so… I went back to the crime scene… both of them… and…" She pulled out her pair of magic panties, and Apollo hung his head. _Panties again?_ "I found this." She pulled out another pink shell card. "It was in the A block of the parking garage, where Ms. Starr said the real crime occurred."

"Where was it?" Apollo asked, slamming his fists down on the table. _How could we have missed that?_

"There was this one black car there," Trucy replied. "I noticed that that black car was always there, but I didn't really think anything of it until I saw this card under it. Maybe that car belongs to the guy who killed Mina and Maddie!"

"Sorry Trucy," Phoenix said, "but the question isn't 'Who killed Mina and Maddie?'. We already know it was an assassin by the name of Shelley de Killer. The question is: 'Who was his _client_?'"

"Oh…" Trucy mumbled as she hung her head sadly. "I'm sorry… I didn't find anything about _that_… I… I was just trying to help…"

"You've helped out a lot," Apollo said. "Now we know that the witness's murder is tied to the victim's, and this card is the proof!" The judge banged down this gavel.

"Very well," he said. "Court will now adjourn until tomorrow morning. The defense and the prosecution will look into this assassination before then." _Whew…_ Apollo thought. _We made it._ The judge banged his gavel one last time.

* * *

><p><em>Court Record:<em>

_Evidence_

_Attorney's Badge – No one would believe I was a defense attorney if I didn't carry this._

_Switchblade Knife – The murder weapon. Carries traces of the victim's blood._

_Ruka's Sketch – A drawing by the defendant depicting a shadow attacking the victim and the defendant holding out a knife._

_Blood Stains – Three small splotches of blood found on the floor of Block B of the Parking Garage._

_Manager's Note – A note written by the manager firing Larry Butz for deleting all the security videos taken the day of the crime._

_Maddie's Autopsy Report – Estimated time of death: January 23, 8:02 PM. Cause of death: loss of blood from one stab wound to the chest._

_Crime Scene Photo #1 – Depicts the victim lying dead on the ground of the parking garage._

_Crime Scene Photo #2 – Depicts the defendant lying unconscious near the crime scene._

_Parking Garage Map – Check for details._

_Bleach – Traces found at the real crime scene. Reacts to Luminol in the same way that blood does._

_German Serial Killings Essay – "With the outstanding lack of legitimate evidence and the failure of Germany's prosecutors to convict the real criminal… the obvious conclusion is that the real criminal has close ties to law enforcement or is a part of law enforcement."_

_Shelley de Killer Calling Card – A card bearing the print of a pink shell. Has the face of Mr. Wright drawn on it in black pen._

_Shelley de Killer Calling Card #2 – A card identical to the one found in the security office, but without Mr. Wright's face drawn on it._

_Profiles_

_Trucy Wright, 16 years old – My assistant and my boss's daughter. A magician who recently inherited the great Magnifi Gramarye's trade._

_Phoenix Wright, 34 years old – My boss, a defense attorney who lost his badge after being accused of fabricating evidence. He recently regained his defense attorney's badge, but he has to watch five of my trials before he can officially practice again._

_Maya Fey, 27 years old – Mr. Wright's old assistant and the master of the Kurain Channeling Technique. She's been dropping by the Wright Anything Agency a lot ever since Mr. Wright got back his badge. _

_Pearl Fey, 17 years old – Maya's younger cousin and an old client of mine. Usually hangs out with Trucy and me whenever she visits the Agency. Like Maya, can also channel the dead._

_Ema Skye, 26 years old – An avid scientist turned detective who was formerly employed under prosecutor Klavier Gavin._

_Klarissa von Karma, 41 years old – A prosecutor who recently moved here from Germany after her sister was promoted to chief prosecutor. _

_Klavier Gavin, 25 years old – A rock star turned prosecutor from Germany. Recently took a year-long vacation after convicting his best friend and his brother of murder to the first degree._

_Mina Asou, 19 years old – A university student dragged to Gavin's concert by her two friends. A photography major who previously did a fashion shoot._

_Maddie Thompson, 19 years old – A university student, and the victim in this case. Wrote an essay detailing her thoughts on a serial killing in Germany that was published in the Los Angeles Times._

_Ruka Mills, 19 years old – A university student, and the prime suspect in this case. An anthropology major who previously studied abroad in Japan._

_Franziska von Karma, 27 years old – The chief prosecutor, and Klarissa's younger sister._

_Larry Butz, 33 years old – Mr. Wright's old friend and the security guard who was on duty the night of the murder._

_Mia Fey, Deceased – Mr. Wright's old dead mentor who's back from the dead to help us with this case._

_Angel Starr, 41 years old – A woman known as the "Cough-up Queen" who claims to have seen something related to the case on the day of the murder._

_Tyrell Badd, 68 years old – A veteran (now retired) detective who was incarcerated for his affiliation with the Yatagarasu._

XX

**Badass Polly is badass. He gets it from his badass mentor and his even more badass neighbor. And it looks like Trucy's turned into young Ema... Anyway, PLEASE REVIEW!**


	26. Songs for a New Turnabout: Part 11

**HOLY CRAP, GoA IS ACTUALLY UPDATING WITHIN LESS THAN A WEEK! THE WORLD IS COMING TO AN END! WALPURGIS NIGHT IS HERE! WE'RE ALL GOING TO DIE!**

… **haha, just kidding. Get ready for a bit of mood whiplash.**

XX

_January 26, 2:03 PM_

_Detention Center_

"Looks like Ruka isn't here…" Trucy mumbled quietly.

"Nah, Ms. von Karma said she'd be done with questioning at around 2:15," Apollo said.

"Hey… Apollo?" Trucy said quietly. "What do you think of Maya and Pearly?"

"Well," Apollo began slowly. "Maya's kind of weird." This caused Trucy to smile a little.

"That has to be the understatement of the century," she said.

"And Pearl…" Apollo continued, "… she's alright. She's pretty nice. Why do you ask?"

"Well…" Trucy mumbled. "This is going to sound really stupid, but… I'm kind of… jealous…" Apollo frowned at this.

"Why?" he asked.

"They're so awesome!" Trucy gushed. "They can channel the dead whenever they want!"

"So you want to be a permanent link to the afterlife?" Apollo deadpanned, raising his eyebrows.

"No!" Trucy objected. "That's not it! It's just… I feel kind of… useless."

"Seriously, Trucy?" Apollo asked, smirking. "Sure, you can't channel spirits or anything, but you can tell when people are lying like I can, right?"

"Yeah," Trucy replied.

"Well Maya and Pearl can't do that," Apollo pointed out. "Also, even though Maya channeled the witness, which was a _huge_ help, it was _you_ who saved my case."

"I-I did?" Trucy asked.

"With this," Apollo said as he pulled out Shelley de Killer's original card. "**TAKE THAT!** If you didn't find this card, I wouldn't have been able to prove that Maddie's death was an assassination, not just a murder." Trucy smiled more at this. "Seriously, what's up with you? It's not like you to get this depressed and self-conscious."

"Thanks Polly!" Trucy said cheerfully, bouncing on her toes and grinning. "I'm a Gramarye. Of _course_ I can see things others can't!"

"Um…" Ruka now stood on the other side of the glass pane, looking even more tired and worn out, if possible.

"Hi Ruka!" Trucy greeted. "So did you see the trial?"

"Of course she saw the trial," Apollo muttered. "She's the _defendant_."

"So what do you think?" Trucy asked, placing a hand to her blue hat. "Was that awesome or what?" Ruka remained silent. "I mean, the way Mina just—"

"Trucy!" Apollo yelled.

"Oh!" Trucy gasped, covering her mouth with one hand. "Sorry, Ruka."

"Um…" Ruka mumbled. "That channeling… thing… would I be able to talk to Mina and Maddie… again?"

"Well…" Apollo answered shakily.

"Sure!" Trucy interjected. "Maya and Pearly are both _super_ nice. If we could get them both to channel Maddie and Mina, you guys could have a nice little reunion!" Ruka gave a small smile.

"Mr. Justice…" she said quietly. "Thank you… for everything."

"You're not out of the woods yet, though," Apollo said, "but things are looking good for now. The fact that you definitely didn't play any role in Maddie's murder helps a _lot_."

"But was it really an _assassin_?" Ruka asked. "Sheldon de—"

"_Shelley_ de Killer," Trucy corrected. "Just screw up his name tomorrow in court and you're as good as free!"

"But who would do such a thing?" Ruka asked. "And why?"

"That's what we hope we'll find out by tomorrow," Apollo said, "but even if we don't, we still have enough information to prove you innocent… well, _almost_. Ruka, I know it's hard, but we really need your testimony." Ruka nodded, and Apollo saw some strength in her brown eyes that he was sure wasn't there before.

"All right," she answered. "I've had to talk about it so much during questioning… I think I'll be ok talking to you about it now."

"Thanks Ruka!" Trucy said. "So tell us what happened."

"Mina, Maddie, and I arrived at the Sunshine Coliseum at around 6:30 the night of the concert," Ruka explained. "Our finals just got over, and we wanted to celebrate. Mina waited outside for the first half of the concert, but Maddie and I forced her to watch the second half." _I remember_, Apollo thought. _I spoke to her that day too, didn't I?_ "After the concert, Maddie and I went back to the car to get something. We were parked in the B block of the parking garage, but on our way there, in the A block, we were attacked." _That's right_, Apollo thought, thinking back to the floor plans of the parking garage. _You have to cross the A block to get to the B block._ "Now I'm sure the person who attacked us was male. I wasn't so sure before, because the memory was a bit fuzzy in my head, but…" _She looks like it's killing her to give this testimony now… and there's no prosecution or jury watching her…_ "Anyway, I always carry a knife with me, just in case, so I pulled it out to defend us. Then…" Ruka's eyes filled with tears, and she wiped them feebly. "That man took Maddie hostage, and I held the knife out because… I was scared! I didn't know what else to do! And then… He… He pushed Maddie…"

"Onto the knife…" Trucy whispered. _Ruka's Testimony added to Court Record._

"It…" Ruka mumbled, tears now flowing freely from her eyes. "It's all my fault! If I hadn't pulled out that knife, then… Maddie… Maddie would… I'm guilty… I killed her, Mr. Justice!"

"No you didn't," Apollo said calmly. "If anyone, it was that assassin de Killer. If the prosecution tries to use this testimony against you, I'll plead justified self-defense."

"Wh-What?" Ruka mumbled.

"It means that—" Trucy began.

"N-No," Ruka objected. "I know what 'justified self-defense' means. Maddie… took a few criminal justice courses and made us help her study. But… you would do that for me?" Apollo smiled gently at her.

"You're my client," he said. "It's my job to set you free. It doesn't matter what you or anyone else thinks for that matter; you're innocent. That's all that matters." Ruka bowed her head.

"Thank you so much," she whispered. "I… I'm glad Mina talked me into letting you defend me, instead of waiting for a state-appointed attorney."

"We're happy to help, Ruka!" Trucy said cheerfully. "We have to go now and investigate, but we'll be back later, ok? We'll bring Maya and Pearly so you can talk to Maddie and Mina again too!" Ruka smiled, and Apollo vaguely wondered if he'd ever seen her this happy before.

"Thank you," she said again.

* * *

><p><em>January 26, 2:24 PM<em>

_Chief Prosecutor's Office_

"It's that dreadful case all over again," Franziska lamented, placing her head in her arms. She sat at her desk in her office, Phoenix sitting across from her.

"Wow," Phoenix said flatly. "Looks like this case is a lot harder on you than it is on Ema and Apollo."

"What do you think?" Franziska retorted. "I'm practically a suspect. The only reason I'm less suspicious than my sister is that Apollo Justice caught her lying today in court." She exhaled sharply. "I would rather _not_ be shot again. One scar is enough."

"No one's going to shoot you," Phoenix assured her. Franziska simply shook her head.

"I know my sister," she said. "She will do everything in her power to get rid of everything that ties her to this case… including me."

"So skip town," Phoenix suggested. "Say you're doing another case with Interpol or something. Or fake suicide like Edgeworth."

"I can't just _skip town_," Franziska objected. "I am the chief prosecutor of this district. I can't just _leave_."

"Are you really that scared?" Phoenix asked, raising his eyebrows. Franziska's face flushed pink.

"O-Of course not!" she stammered.

"Oh yeah," Phoenix said casually, pulling out a folded paper out of his pocket. "There's one more thing. I'd like you to have a look at this." He handed her Maddie's essay on the serial killings in Germany. "**TAKE THAT!**" Franziska skimmed over it briefly.

"I know about that case," she said.

"Did you read the thesis?" Phoenix asked. Franziska nodded, but didn't say anything. "Franziska, tell me, does your sister have anything to do with the serial killings in Germany?" Franziska's hand flew up to her shoulder, and she looked away cautiously.

"I-I don't know," she said. "I… I never felt the need to pry into my sister's affairs." Phoenix sighed as five Psyche locks appeared over her heart. _Oh no…_ Phoenix thought sadly. _Franziska…_ He forced a smile.

"That's ok," he said. "Forget I asked." Relief washed over Franziska's face.

"Thank you," she said quietly. _Klarissa isn't… She can't be… But if she is… Poor Franziska…_

* * *

><p><em>January 26, 3:00 PM<em>

_Wright Anything Agency_

Trucy and Apollo entered the office to find Phoenix on the phone – and completely unaware of their presence. "For the ten millionth time," he said a bit irritably, "it's _Psyche locks_, not _Psycholocks_." Trucy turned to Apollo and placed one finger over her mouth to keep him quiet before leading him into another room. This room was painted purple, and there were several pictures sitting on a wooden nightstand nearby: one of a young Trucy with her real father and a woman Apollo recognized as Thalassa Gramarye, one of a slightly older Trucy with Phoenix, one of Trucy with both Phoenix and Apollo that Apollo didn't remember was ever taken, and one of Trucy, Apollo, Ema, and Klavier. Apollo recognized the last one, as he had an identical picture of his own. Trucy sat on a purple bed and put a phone to her ear, covering one end with her hand. She jerked her head for Apollo to sit next to her, and Apollo confusedly complied.

"What is it?" he whispered.

"Edgeworth," Trucy mouthed silently.

"Give it to me," Apollo ordered as he took the phone from Trucy.

"I don't understand why you would think I of all people would know much about Klarissa von Karma," he heard Edgeworth say on the other line.

"You grew up with them, didn't you?" Phoenix asked.

"I grew up with _Franziska_, if anyone," Edgeworth corrected. "I barely even knew Klarissa at that time. Ask Franziska; she knows her better."

"I _can't_ ask Franziska," Phoenix muttered exasperatedly.

"Why not?" Edgeworth asked. Pause. "Oh, right. Psycholocks."

"Psyche locks, Edgeworth!" Phoenix yelled. Another pause. "Hang on a second. I think Apollo and Trucy are tapping the phone." Alarmed, Apollo hung up immediately.

"What?" Trucy asked. "What happened?"

"I think we just got caught…" Apollo mumbled. The door swung open immediately, revealing Phoenix.

"Trucy, what have I said about closing the door when you're alone with a guy in here?" Phoenix asked. Trucy grinned sheepishly.

"Don't do it?" she asked innocently. "But Daddy, it's just Polly! Besides, if we were to do _that_, Polly would get arrested! He can't _do it _with a minor like me!" Apollo felt his face heat up, and Phoenix smirked.

"You ok, Apollo?" he asked.

"Please stop talking…" Apollo whimpered.

"Nah, forget it," Phoenix said. "Oh, while we're at it, let me change that rule a bit. The only guys you're allowed to be alone with in your room are me and Apollo. Got it, Trucy?"

"Yup!" Trucy replied cheerfully. "Now don't you have to go back to talking to Mr. Edgeworth now?"

"Trucy!" Apollo yelled. Phoenix sighed and shook his head, though he couldn't stop the smile on his face.

_I swear, they never change… no matter how old they get…_

* * *

><p><em>Court Record:<em>

_Evidence_

_Attorney's Badge – No one would believe I was a defense attorney if I didn't carry this._

_Switchblade Knife – The murder weapon. Carries traces of the victim's blood._

_Ruka's Sketch – A drawing by the defendant depicting a shadow attacking the victim and the defendant holding out a knife._

_Blood Stains – Three small splotches of blood found on the floor of Block B of the Parking Garage._

_Manager's Note – A note written by the manager firing Larry Butz for deleting all the security videos taken the day of the crime._

_Maddie's Autopsy Report – Estimated time of death: January 23, 8:02 PM. Cause of death: loss of blood from one stab wound to the chest._

_Crime Scene Photo #1 – Depicts the victim lying dead on the ground of the parking garage._

_Crime Scene Photo #2 – Depicts the defendant lying unconscious near the crime scene._

_Parking Garage Map – Check for details._

_Bleach – Traces found at the real crime scene. Reacts to Luminol in the same way that blood does._

_German Serial Killings Essay – "With the outstanding lack of legitimate evidence and the failure of Germany's prosecutors to convict the real criminal… the obvious conclusion is that the real criminal has close ties to law enforcement or is a part of law enforcement."_

_Shelley de Killer Calling Card – A card bearing the print of a pink shell. Has the face of Mr. Wright drawn on it in black pen._

_Shelley de Killer Calling Card #2 – A card identical to the one found in the security office, but without Mr. Wright's face drawn on it._

_Ruka's Testimony – "I held the knife out… and then he pushed Maddie [onto the knife]."_

_Profiles_

_Trucy Wright, 16 years old – My assistant and my boss's daughter. A magician who recently inherited the great Magnifi Gramarye's trade._

_Phoenix Wright, 34 years old – My boss, a defense attorney who lost his badge after being accused of fabricating evidence. He recently regained his defense attorney's badge, but he has to watch five of my trials before he can officially practice again._

_Maya Fey, 27 years old – Mr. Wright's old assistant and the master of the Kurain Channeling Technique. She's been dropping by the Wright Anything Agency a lot ever since Mr. Wright got back his badge. _

_Pearl Fey, 17 years old – Maya's younger cousin and an old client of mine. Usually hangs out with Trucy and me whenever she visits the Agency. Like Maya, can also channel the dead._

_Ema Skye, 26 years old – An avid scientist turned detective who was formerly employed under prosecutor Klavier Gavin._

_Klarissa von Karma, 41 years old – A prosecutor who recently moved here from Germany after her sister was promoted to chief prosecutor. _

_Klavier Gavin, 25 years old – A rock star turned prosecutor from Germany. Recently took a year-long vacation after convicting his best friend and his brother of murder to the first degree._

_Mina Asou, 19 years old – A university student dragged to Gavin's concert by her two friends. A photography major who previously did a fashion shoot._

_Maddie Thompson, 19 years old – A university student, and the victim in this case. Wrote an essay detailing her thoughts on a serial killing in Germany that was published in the Los Angeles Times._

_Ruka Mills, 19 years old – A university student, and the prime suspect in this case. An anthropology major who previously studied abroad in Japan._

_Franziska von Karma, 27 years old – The chief prosecutor, and Klarissa's younger sister._

_Larry Butz, 33 years old – Mr. Wright's old friend and the security guard who was on duty the night of the murder._

_Mia Fey, Deceased – Mr. Wright's old dead mentor who's back from the dead to help us with this case._

_Angel Starr, 41 years old – A woman known as the "Cough-up Queen" who claims to have seen something related to the case on the day of the murder._

_Tyrell Badd, 68 years old – A veteran (now retired) detective who was incarcerated for his affiliation with the Yatagarasu._

XX

**So it turns out there actually is a second Apollo Justice game coming out… and my prediction about Apollo's dad is going to be totally WRONG… Wow, I can see the future reviews already: "You suck! This isn't AJ 2!" "You really haven't played AJ 2, have you?"**

**I've been thinking about potential theme songs. I know for a fact that the song that should play after Franziska's Psyche locks appear is Sayaka's theme song from Puella Magi Madoka Magica (well they both have blue hair, so why not?) And here's a hint: Klarissa's theme song is ALSO a character theme song from Madoka Magica. If you've seen the anime, care to guess whose?**

**PLEASE REVIEW!**


	27. Songs for a New Turnabout: Part 12

_January 26, 4:00 PM_

_Detention Center_

"Hi Ruka!" Maya greeted cheerfully. "Trucy told Pearly and me everything. We'd be happy to channel Maddie and Mina for you!" Ruka was smiling more naturally now.

"Thank you," she said quietly.

"Ready Pearly?" Maya asked, turning to her cousin. Pearl smiled and nodded, and the two clasped their hands together and closed their eyes. Ruka watched in awe as their bodies changed, Maya's growing into Mina's more mature figure and Pearl's barely changing at all to accommodate for Maddie. They both opened their eyes and grinned.

"Hi Ruka," Maddie and Mina said in unison. Ruka promptly burst into tears, and Apollo couldn't help but smile.

"Aw, Ruka…" Maddie said, raising her eyebrows in sympathy.

"Don't cry, Ruka," Mina said, smirking. "Everyone's watching! Your lawyer's going to think you're more of a wuss than Maddie!"

"I'm not a wuss!" Maddie objected.

"Well you died first," Mina pointed out.

"_So_ not the point!" Maddie objected. "And it totally wasn't my fault!" _If that bit of logic applies, then Ruka's the toughest one of the three. Somehow, I find that very, _very_ hard to believe._ "So do all of you know how I died?"

"Of course!" Trucy replied cheerfully. "You were assassinated!" Maddie raised her eyebrows.

"I was _what_?" she said flatly. Ruka and Mina glanced at each other and sighed before calmly filling her in on the details. "I… see…"

"Do you know anyone who would want to kill you?" Apollo asked. Maddie frowned, deep in thought.

"No…" she mumbled. "That's so weird… It's not like I did anything to piss anyone off so much that they'd want to kill me either…"

"So you didn't steal someone's boyfriend or something?" Trucy asked, frowning in thought.

"No," Maddie replied. "I just remember being stabbed by someone."

"And that was a contract killer," Apollo muttered impatiently. "We already know that."

"But there's something else that doesn't quite fit," Phoenix mused. "Remember Angel Starr's testimony? She said that it was a _woman_ who carried Maddie and Ruka's bodies to the B block of the parking garage. _Not_ a man. I'll bet you anything that woman is the culprit behind all this."

"Did you see a woman?" Apollo asked. "Ruka? Maddie?"

"No, all we saw was this dark figure who I thought you already said was this assassin," Maddie replied.

"I'll head back down to the crime scene," Apollo said. "We haven't exactly been there in a while, and now we know exactly what to look for: something this mystery woman may have dropped. It can be anything – a mirror, a purse, anything. All we need to do is find it and dust it for fingerprints. There will definitely be some; she couldn't have wiped off fingerprints on something she didn't even know she dropped. Also, she's probably the person who tried framing Ms. von Karma and who deleted all the security videos from the day of the crime."

"We're going to need authorization," Trucy pointed out.

"Hang on," Apollo said before pulling out his cell phone. After pressing a few buttons, he held it to his ear and tapped his foot. "Hey Ema. We're going to need access to the crime scene again… I know, I can't keep asking you… Yes, I know you'll get in trouble with Ms. von Karma… Ok, can you bring Gavin too? I'd like his input… Great, thanks. See you." Apollo hung up his phone and slipped it back into his pocket. "Good news," he said. "We can investigate the crime scene, but Ema has to supervise us."

"That's fine," Trucy said. "I'll come too!"

"Do you want us to come too?" Phoenix asked.

"No, we can handle it on our own," Apollo replied. "Can you start getting together our case for tomorrow? I'll let you know if we find anything."

"Ok," Phoenix replied. "Good luck, and be careful."

* * *

><p><em>January 26, 5:14 PM<em>

_Parking Garage_

_A Block_

"Ugh, this is hopeless!" Trucy cried. "We've been at this for an hour, and we still can't find anything!"

"Just be patient, Trucy," Ema said. "No one's _this_ perfect." She put her hands on her hips and sighed irritably. "The crime scene is way too perfect for one person, even a renowned assassin, to create. First rule of criminal-catching: the culprit always returns to the scene of the crime."

"But who's to say that she'll return _today_?" Trucy asked impatiently.

"My best bet is that she'll return every single day until the case is closed, or at least until the statute of limitations runs out," Ema replied.

"Are you sure you didn't find anything here before, Ema?" Apollo asked.

"Other than that card Trucy found before, nothing," Ema replied, slipping her pink glasses over her eyes and sighing.

"By the way, where did you say that was, Fräulein?" Klavier asked.

"It was under this black car," Trucy said, rubbing her chin.

"You mean that one?" Ema asked, pointing to an insignificant-looking black car parked in the corner of the A block.

"Yeah, that's it!" Trucy replied cheerfully. _Black Car added to Court Record._ Apollo stepped over to it cautiously and examined it from every possible angle. _The license plate number's SDK0001_…_ SDK as in Shelley de Killer?_ He ran his hand over the side of the car. _This part feels strange… almost like there's something covering the paint… Wait a minute…_ Apollo pulled out a bottle of Luminol and began spraying the car.

"Herr Forehead!" Klavier yelled. "What do you think you're doing?"

"I knew it," Apollo said as the side of the car began to glow. "You were right, Trucy. This _is_ de Killer's car."

"That car's been there since yesterday," Trucy said. "In that same exact spot."

"He couldn't exactly leave, because we closed off the entire parking garage after the murder," Ema said. Klavier sighed heavily.

"Why do these things happen only at _my_ concerts?" he lamented.

"Be a man and suck it up," Ema said flatly. "You're a prosecutor. Start acting like one."

"So what does this mean?" Trucy asked.

"It's just more proof that this was an assassination, and that the assassin in question was definitely Shelley de Killer," Apollo said, "but we already knew that, so this really doesn't tell us anything new."

"There's nothing here to tell us who the client is," Ema pointed out.

"It may seem a bit far-fetched, but to me, the answer is quite obvious," Klavier interjected. "It is Fräulein von Karma."

"Which one?" Apollo, Ema, and Trucy asked in unison.

"Certainly not the younger," Klavier replied smoothly, smiling. "The young Fräulein wouldn't hurt a fly."

"You sound really sure of that," Ema observed. "I thought she was obsessed with whips or something."

"Back when she was younger, of course," Klavier said. "The older Fräulein, however…"

"Is kind of a bitch," Ema finished. "Excuse my French."

"But you weren't speaking French," Klavier pointed out, causing Ema to sigh exasperatedly.

"It's an expression," she explained. Klavier's eyes widened in understanding and he nodded.

"I see," he said. Trucy made her way over to a ladder leaning against the wall.

"Why do you think there's a ladder here?" Trucy asked. "I mean, it's a parking garage." Apollo glared pointedly at her. "What?"

"Trucy, that's a stepladder," Apollo corrected.

"Same difference," Trucy said fleetingly, scoffing.

"I agree, Fräulein," Klavier said. "What difference does it make whether it's a ladder or a stepladder?"

"Sorry, but I'm going to have to agree with Apollo," Ema said. "When it comes to evidence, you've got to be precise."

"Stop being so narrow-minded, Polly," Trucy chided, putting her hands on her hips and frowning.

"Can we just move on with the investigation, please?" Apollo grumbled.

"If the defense is this incompetent… it looks like my client will not have to worry about being caught." Apollo, Trucy, Ema, and Klavier whirled around to see a man with stitches lining his face. Ema pulled out a gun and stood protectively in front of Apollo, Trucy, and Klavier.

"Are you Shelley de Killer?" she asked, holding the gun in one hand and pointing it at him.

"Perhaps," the man said. "My target is the little girl over there," he pointed a thin, bony finger at Trucy, "but I will take all of you down if I must." Apollo didn't even see him move. The next thing he knew, de Killer was holding Trucy hostage, clutching the back of her cape tightly and pointing a gun to her head. Tears were streaming down Trucy's face.

"No…" she whimpered. "I don't want to die… I don't want to die…"

"Let her go!" Apollo yelled. de Killer removed the gun briefly to point it at Apollo. Ema frowned sternly and cocked the gun at de Killer.

"The name's Ema Skye," she introduced. "I happen to have the best aim in the force. You do anything to harm anyone here, and I'll shoot." de Killer chuckled.

"You wouldn't dare," he said cockily.

"Try me," Ema said, smirking confidently as she pointed the gun towards and pulled the trigger. There was a deafening _bang_ as a bullet bounced off the ground. Trucy screamed. "Apollo, Klavier, get out of here." But the two boys stayed where they were. _Ema… she's so strong… _Klavier stood frowning, his feet planted firmly on the ground, but his body shaking. _Gavin looks like he wants to step in, but… can't…_ Ema pointed the gun at de Killer and glared at him. "Now back away." de Killer stayed where he was, but pointed his gun at Ema.

"You're foolish for crossing an assassin," de Killer taunted. Ema raised one eyebrow.

"Oh really?" she asked. And then she shot at him. de Killer cried out in pain as the bullet lodged itself in his knee, and he staggered forward, releasing Trucy.

"Trucy!" Apollo called, holding his arms out. Trucy dashed towards him, throwing her arms around him, and Apollo hugged her tightly. Ema turned back to look at Apollo, Trucy, and Klavier.

"Are you guys ok?" she asked. Just as she did, de Killer pulled the trigger on his gun, and Ema screamed. Her shoulder exploded in blood, and she collapsed.

"Ema!" Klavier yelled, catching her as she fell.

"I'm all right," Ema said breathlessly, wincing in pain. "Don't let him get away." But it was too late. The black car was pulling out of its spot and driving off. "Damn it…" Ema blinked several times as she struggled to stay conscious, but it was no use; she was fighting a losing battle, and it wasn't long before she passed out entirely in Klavier's arms.

"Herr Forehead, call an ambulance!" Klavier shouted. Apollo simply stood where he was. _What the… What just happened?_

* * *

><p><em>January 26, 6:00 PM<em>

_Hotti Clinic_

_Intensive Care Unit_

_I thought there would be a lot of screaming and yelling, but everything's so… quiet._ Apollo sat next to Trucy just outside of Ema's operating room, feeling somewhat drained after the day's events. Phoenix stood a little ways away, talking incessantly into a phone. "Yeah, it was an assassin," he was saying. "Ema said she's fine, but… Yes, everyone else is fine… That would be my daughter, my understudy, and… their friend Gavin… Yes, _that_ Gavin… He's Ema's prosecutor partner. You know, like Edgeworth and Gumshoe? … How am I supposed to know if they're going out? Ask Ema when she comes around!"

"Who's he talking to?" Apollo asked Trucy, who was resting her head against his shoulder.

"No clue," she answered wearily. Apollo shifted his attention to the prosecutor, who was pacing around nervously and… _singing _to himself.

"_Eins und eins, das macht zwei, ein Herz ist immer dabei, und wenn du Glück hast, dann sind es zwei_," Klavier sang in German as he finally stopped pacing, leaning against the wall.

"What are you singing, Mr. Gavin?" Trucy asked listlessly, her cheerful tone all but gone.

"Hm?" Klavier mumbled distractedly. "Oh, just a song my mother used to sing for me whenever I was ill." Apollo's bracelet tightened. _Right_, he thought sarcastically._ I believe you, Gavin._

"Right," Phoenix continued on the phone. "Sorry, Lana. I didn't mean to snap like that… I guess this case has us all on edge… No, that's ok, you don't need to come down here. The last day of the trial is tomorrow. Thanks, though… All right, I will. Thanks, Lana. Bye." Phoenix hung up his phone and sat down on the other side of Trucy. "That was Ema's sister, in case you wanted to know."

"You told her already?" Apollo asked.

"Well, I doubt Ema would," Phoenix retorted, "so I took the liberty of doing it for her."

"She's going to be pissed," Apollo pointed out.

"She'll get over it," Phoenix said before sighing heavily.

"Where's Maya and Pearly?" Trucy asked.

"They had to go back to Kurain," Phoenix replied. "Maya can't just skip town every so often. She's the master." Klavier finally sat down next to Apollo. "Worried, Gavin?"

"Ah…" Klavier gasped. "I'm fine, Herr Wright… Once again, I'd like to apologize for—"

"Klavier," Phoenix said flatly, "let it go. It wasn't your fault. I'm not mad at you."

"You're still going on about that?" Apollo asked incredulously.

"He is," Phoenix said, jerking his head towards Klavier. _Right… it was Gavin's brother who got Mr. Wright disbarred, but… Mr. Gavin used him to accuse Mr. Wright of forging evidence, and Gavin still feels guilty about it, even though it really wasn't his fault._ After a few minutes, a nurse stepped outside.

"You can see her now," she said, bowing her head slightly. Slowly, Apollo, Trucy, Phoenix, and Klavier filled into Ema's room. Ema sat up, her arm in a sling and her shoulder bandaged.

"Hey," she said, grinning at them.

"You okay, Ema?" Phoenix asked. Her perpetual smile was a bit unnerving. _Which is worse: Ema shooting you repeatedly with Snackoos, or Ema high on pain meds? _

"I'm fine," she said. "Just took an arrow to the knee."

"But you were shot in the shoulder," Klavier pointed out. "I never saw any arrow making contact with your knee." Ema groaned.

"Apollo, next time we get together, we're forcing him to play Skyrim," Ema said.

"Sure," Apollo replied uncertainly.

"What is this Sky-rim?" Klavier asked slowly, looking utterly confused. "Fräulein, does it have anything to do with you? Your name is…" Apollo couldn't help but laugh, and Ema joined in.

"We'll explain later," Ema said.

"Daddy, can I—" Trucy began.

"No," Phoenix said flatly. "I thought I told you, Trucy. No M-rated games." Ema simply smiled. _How the _hell_ can she stay so cheerful after being shot? Maybe she's just trying to make the best of the situation… or maybe it's the pain meds. Right. That's probably it. _"So what did you guys find?"

"Nothing," Apollo said bitterly. "But I think we have enough evidence to prove that Ruka's innocent. It's not really our job to find the real killer."

"It's mine," Ema interjected. "So just leave it to me. After I get out of here and off these stupid painkillers, I'll get back to investigating everything scientifically." _That's been a _great_ help so far…_

"Don't push yourself, Ema," Klavier said seriously.

"Relax, I'm fine," Ema said.

"By the way," Phoenix drawled. "You need to call your sister."

"What?" Ema yelled. "You told my sister? Why would you do that, Mr. Wright? She'll freak!" _Now _that_ sounds more like the Ema we all know._

"Actually, she took it well," Phoenix said.

"Can we just start preparing for tomorrow's case?" Apollo asked. _I don't know where this is going to get us, but there's one thing I know for sure. Ruka wasn't de Killer's client. I have a pretty good idea who the client was, but it'll take some time proving my point. I just hope I'll be able to tomorrow…_

* * *

><p><strong>TO BE CONTINUED…<strong>

_Court Record:_

_Evidence_

_Attorney's Badge – No one would believe I was a defense attorney if I didn't carry this._

_Switchblade Knife – The murder weapon. Carries traces of the victim's blood._

_Ruka's Sketch – A drawing by the defendant depicting a shadow attacking the victim and the defendant holding out a knife._

_Blood Stains – Three small splotches of blood found on the floor of Block B of the Parking Garage._

_Manager's Note – A note written by the manager firing Larry Butz for deleting all the security videos taken the day of the crime._

_Maddie's Autopsy Report – Estimated time of death: January 23, 8:02 PM. Cause of death: loss of blood from one stab wound to the chest._

_Crime Scene Photo #1 – Depicts the victim lying dead on the ground of the parking garage._

_Crime Scene Photo #2 – Depicts the defendant lying unconscious near the crime scene._

_Parking Garage Map – Check for details._

_Bleach – Traces found at the real crime scene. Reacts to Luminol in the same way that blood does._

_German Serial Killings Essay – "With the outstanding lack of legitimate evidence and the failure of Germany's prosecutors to convict the real criminal… the obvious conclusion is that the real criminal has close ties to law enforcement or is a part of law enforcement."_

_Shelley de Killer Calling Card – A card bearing the print of a pink shell. Has the face of Mr. Wright drawn on it in black pen._

_Shelley de Killer Calling Card #2 – A card identical to the one found in the security office, but without Mr. Wright's face drawn on it._

_Ruka's Testimony – "I held the knife out… and then he pushed Maddie [onto the knife]."_

_Black Car – Contains traces of blood. License plate number: SDK0001. Belongs to Shelley de Killer._

_Profiles_

_Trucy Wright, 16 years old – My assistant and my boss's daughter. A magician who recently inherited the great Magnifi Gramarye's trade._

_Phoenix Wright, 34 years old – My boss, a defense attorney who lost his badge after being accused of fabricating evidence. He recently regained his defense attorney's badge, but he has to watch five of my trials before he can officially practice again._

_Maya Fey, 27 years old – Mr. Wright's old assistant and the master of the Kurain Channeling Technique. She's been dropping by the Wright Anything Agency a lot ever since Mr. Wright got back his badge. _

_Pearl Fey, 17 years old – Maya's younger cousin and an old client of mine. Usually hangs out with Trucy and me whenever she visits the Agency. Like Maya, can also channel the dead._

_Ema Skye, 26 years old – An avid scientist turned detective who was formerly employed under prosecutor Klavier Gavin._

_Klarissa von Karma, 41 years old – A prosecutor who recently moved here from Germany after her sister was promoted to chief prosecutor. _

_Klavier Gavin, 25 years old – A rock star turned prosecutor from Germany. Recently took a year-long vacation after convicting his best friend and his brother of murder to the first degree._

_Mina Asou, 19 years old – A university student dragged to Gavin's concert by her two friends. A photography major who previously did a fashion shoot._

_Maddie Thompson, 19 years old – A university student, and the victim in this case. Wrote an essay detailing her thoughts on a serial killing in Germany that was published in the Los Angeles Times._

_Ruka Mills, 19 years old – A university student, and the prime suspect in this case. An anthropology major who previously studied abroad in Japan._

_Franziska von Karma, 27 years old – The chief prosecutor, and Klarissa's younger sister._

_Larry Butz, 33 years old – Mr. Wright's old friend and the security guard who was on duty the night of the murder._

_Mia Fey, Deceased – Mr. Wright's old dead mentor who's back from the dead to help us with this case._

_Angel Starr, 41 years old – A woman known as the "Cough-up Queen" who claims to have seen something related to the case on the day of the murder._

_Tyrell Badd, 68 years old – A veteran (now retired) detective who was incarcerated for his affiliation with the Yatagarasu._

_Shelley de Killer, ? years old – An honorable contract killer who leaves behind a calling card with a pink shell at his crime scenes._

XX

**I LIVE. Sorry I haven't updated in a while. Anyway, shameless Skyrim reference and Klema hints abound. PLEASE REVIEW!**


	28. Songs for a New Turnabout: Part 13

_January 27, 9:45 AM_

_District Court_

_Defendant Lobby No. 1_

"Well, today's the last day, Mr. Justice," Angel Starr said in the defendant lobby. "In honor of that, I would like to present you the lucky special." She held out a pink box filled with what appeared to be four-leaf clovers.

"Look," Apollo said confidently. "I was wondering if you could give me your testimony again. It's the most decisive bit of evidence I have right now."

"I don't see why not," Angel said. "I saw a woman carry two bodies across the A block of the parking garage. That's it, in a nutshell." _Starr's Testimony added to Court Record._

"Thank you," Apollo said.

"So I'll be heading inside," Angel said fleetingly. "Good luck, Mr. Justice. You're going to need it." And with that, she left, and Apollo began pacing around the defendant lobby. _Ok, so it all ties back to that German serial killing essay Mr. Wright showed me yesterday. That serial killer _has_ to be the culprit. Why else would anyone want to kill Maddie? But what does Mina have to do with it? … maybe she knew too much…_ The door to the defendant lobby swung open, and Tyrell Badd walked in.

"Getting cold feet, kid?" he asked, sucking on his lollipop.

"Mr. Badd!" Apollo yelled, stopping in his tracks. "What are you doing here?"

"I came… to watch the trial," Badd replied slowly. "Did you… figure everything out?"

"Almost," Apollo answered. "It all ties to this essay here." He handed the paper to the ex-detective, and Badd began reading it carefully. "It was written by the victim a while ago, and it was published in a newspaper. But why the defendant and the main witness are involved…"

"Look down here," Badd said, pointing to the bottom of the essay. _Special thanks to… Ruka Mills and Mina Asou?_ "They probably edited the essay or something."

"Or maybe they contributed to…" Apollo said faintly, trailing off, feeling an overwhelming sense of dread. "Oh… my god…" _Eyesight… fading…_

"Pull yourself together, kid!" Badd said gruffly, shaking Apollo by the shoulders. "So you've got a serial killer on your hands. You're in court now, and they can't touch you here. All you have to do is get them a guilty verdict." Badd sighed and reached into a pocket in his hole-filled coat and pulled out a new lollipop. "Here," he said, handing it to Apollo. "When in doubt… suck on this… It'll help you think."

Apollo took a few deep, calming breaths and took the lollipop. "Thanks, Mr. Badd."

The corner of Badd's mouth quirked into a sort of half smile. "Now go get 'em, kid." Apollo smiled and nodded as he stepped into the courtroom.

_German Serial Killings Essay updated._

* * *

><p><em>January 27, 10:00 AM<em>

_District Court_

_Courtroom No. 2_

The courtroom was oddly silent as Apollo took his place and the judge banged down his gavel. "Court will now reconvene for the trial of Miss Ruka Mills," the judge announced. "Yesterday, it was proven that the victim, Maddie Thompson, was assassinated by the contract killer Shelley de Killer. Have the defense and prosecution looked into this turn of events?"

"Yes, Your Honor," Klarissa von Karma answered before Apollo could even open his mouth. Apollo glared at the woman across from him. _And we still have you to deal with…_ "The prosecution looked into this matter, and has come up with a possible theory. It is still entirely possible that the defendant is behind all of this. To clarify, I would like to call Miss Ema Skye up to the witness stand." There was pin drop silence. "Ema Skye?" No answer. Klarissa sighed and shook her head. "That silly girl… this will not reflect well on her—"

"**SHUT UP!**" Apollo yelled, causing Phoenix to jump next to him.

"Easy, Apollo…" Phoenix muttered.

Apollo slammed his fists on the table and pointed at Klarissa. "That's bullshit, and you know it!" he yelled.

"M-Mr. Justice!" the judge gasped. "I will have to ask you to watch your language!"

"Sorry, Your Honor," Apollo said quickly, "but she's lying! Ema Skye is currently in the hospital, recuperating from a bullet wound to the shoulder that she received from Shelley de Killer last night!" The spectators in the courtroom began murmuring to each other, and the judge banged down his gavel.

"Order!" the old man yelled. "Order! Order in the court! Mr. Justice, why—"

"He shot her because she shot him after he tried to kill Trucy!" Apollo yelled.

"Apollo," Phoenix said firmly. "Calm down. You're getting too angry, and it's making you blubber. You're not making any sense."

Apollo sighed and unwrapped Badd's lollipop. He stuck the stick in his mouth and let the sweetness envelope his tongue. "Your Honor, the defense would like to call Miss Trucy Wright to the witness stand."

"Wait, Apollo!" Phoenix yelled. "Wouldn't you rather call Mr. Gavin?"

"No," Apollo replied, a bit more calmly. "Trucy was the intended victim. I believe the court needs to hear what she has to say." Within a few minutes, Trucy was standing at the witness stand. "Trucy, can you tell everyone what happened yesterday?"

"Sure!" Trucy replied cheerfully, bouncing.

Apollo hung his head. "You know, you _were_ the intended victim. Couldn't you act a little… I don't know… more depressed?"

"Well I survived, didn't I Polly?" Trucy asked, straightening her hat. "And Ema's fine too! Well… sort of…"

"Get on with it!" Klarissa shrieked, snapping her fingers.

* * *

><p><em><span>Witness Testimony: de Killer's Attack<span>_

_So yesterday, Apollo, Ema, Mr. Gavin and I went to investigate the crime scene again._

_You know, the place where we found that black car?_

_By the way, the car really _does_ belong to Shelley de Killer. His license plate says so._

_Anyway, while we were investigating Shelley de Killer showed up._

_He… he grabbed me and held a gun to my head._

_But then Ema saved me! She shot de Killer in the knee, and he dropped me._

_I escaped, but then de Killer shot Ema in the shoulder and left before we could catch him…_

* * *

><p>"Miss Wright!" the judge gasped. "Are you all right?"<p>

"I'm fine, Udgey," Trucy replied cheerfully. "I mean, Your Honor." _Did… did she just call him…_ "Sorry…"

"That's perfectly all right," the judge replied, shaking his head. "And now, the cross examination."

* * *

><p><em><span>Cross-Examination<span>_

_So yesterday, Apollo, Ema, Mr. Gavin and I went to investigate the crime scene— _

**OBJECTION!**

Klarissa snapped her fingers and cut off Trucy. "This is a farce! This is clearly a ploy by the defense to gain time!"

Apollo crossed his arms and smirked. "Is it now?" he asked confidently. "Your Honor, I believe I know the true mastermind behind this whole case."

"Apollo, are you sure?" Phoenix asked, frowning.

"It's now or never," Apollo whispered. "I've got to do this." Apollo discarded the lollipop. "_The defense accuses Klarissa von Karma of serial murder!_" The courtroom grew very noisy very quickly, and the judge banged his gavel.

"Order!" he shouted over the spectators' raised voices. "Order! I want order!"

"E-Excuse me?" Klarissa stammered, flinching. "Just what are you implying?"

"Oh, I'm not implying anything," Apollo said firmly. "I'm outright saying it! You're responsible for the deaths of Maddie Thompson and Mina Asou!"

"Why on earth would I—" Klarissa began.

"Yeah, why _would_ you conveniently be present at the crime scene just minutes after the body was found?" Apollo asked. "Well, Ms. von Karma?"

"Th-This is absurd!" Klarissa squeaked.

"Your Honor," Apollo said, turning to the judge, "I would like to question Ms. von Karma."

"B-But Mr. Justice!" the judge protested. "That would require another prosecutor to be present! How can Ms. von Karma prosecute and testify at the same time!"

**HOLD IT!**

Franziska von Karma stood at the witness stand, crossing her arms and frowning sternly. "Then I will gladly fill in for her," she said smoothly.

"F-Franziska…" Klarissa practically growled, glaring at her younger sister.

"Just do it, Klarissa!" Franziska snapped. "If you really are innocent, then you have nothing to hide!"

The judge banged down his gavel once. "Very well," he said calmly. "The court will hear Ms. von Karma's testimony, and for the remainder of the trial, Ms. von Karma will prosecute." There was pin drop silence in the courtroom, and no one bothered to correct the judge.

"Fine," Klarissa said, sounding a bit deranged. "If that's the way you want to play…"

* * *

><p><em><span>Witness Testimony: My Story<span>_

_Why should it matter why I was there at the crime scene the night of the murder?_

_There was a murder, and I simply accompanied Ema Skye to the investigation. Is that a crime?_

_After all, now we know it was Shelley de Killer who murdered Maddie Thompson, so why should it matter if I was there?_

* * *

><p><em>It all comes down to this<em>, Apollo thought, clenching his fists. _I'm going to put an end to this once and for all!_

* * *

><p><em><span>Cross-Examination<span>_

_Why should it matter why I was there at the crime scene the night of the murder?_

_There was a murder, and I simply accompanied Ema Skye to the investigation. Is that a crime?_

_After all, now we know it was Shelley de Killer who murdered Maddie Thompson, so why should it matter if I was there?_

**OBJECTION!**

"Actually, Ms. von Karma, it _does_ matter," Apollo said, crossing his arms and smirking triumphantly. "According to a previous witness, Angel Starr…" Apollo slammed both fists down on the table. "_It was a woman who carried the victim's body away from the real crime scene!_"

"Gah!" Klarissa shrieked flinching.

"**OBJECTION!**" Franziska shouted. "I'm sorry, Mr. Justice, but how exactly does that tie my sister to this case? Angel Starr's testimony simply stated that a woman carried two bodies from one area of the parking garage to another. There is nothing in that testimony that incriminates Klarissa."

"Objection sustained," the judge agreed.

"Actually, I _do_ have something that ties Ms. von Karma to this case," Apollo said slowly.

"Mr. Justice," Franziska said quietly, staring at Apollo intently. "Do you really wish to use that right now?"

Apollo nodded confidently. "Yes, I do. **TAKE THAT!**" Franziska's eyes averted to the floor, and Phoenix sighed heavily. "Th-This is an essay written by the victim." Apollo swallowed thickly and found it difficult to keep his hands from shaking. _Damn it… I feel terrible… I'm about to unmask the real killer! Why does it feel like I'm kicking a puppy or something?_ "Last year, there was a series of serial killings in Germany, and Maddie Thompson deduced that the culprit came from law enforcement. Ruka Mills and Mina Asou are mentioned at the bottom. It's only natural that—"

"**OBJECTION!**" Klarissa shouted. "Are you insinuating that I am this mysterious serial killer?"

"The serial killer was never found," Apollo continued. "What if she fled? What if she fled to this country?"

"**OBJECTION!**" Franziska yelled, sounding a bit uncertain. "Mr. Justice, I…" Her eyes drifted over to Phoenix, and she crossed her arms confidently. "What you are insinuating is pure speculation. Maybe this serial killer really did murder those two students. Why do you think my sister is responsible?"

"And why would I do such a thing?" Klarissa asked, raising her eyebrow and smirking. Apollo simply frowned and clenched his fists.

_This is it… I've got to present it now! Otherwise…_ "Ms. von Karma… both of you… I would like to present my last piece of evidence. Evidence that proves, beyond a shred of a doubt, that Klarissa von Karma is the true culprit." Apollo reached into his pocket and pulled out Shelley de Killer's calling card – the one with Phoenix Wright's face drawn on it. "Take that."

Both von Karmas flinched. "Th-This is…" Klarissa mumbled quietly.

"Mr. Justice…" Franziska whispered.

"This card is the only thing that doesn't quite fit in this case," Apollo explained. "Everything else is connected to the victim and the defendant, or to Shelley de Killer somehow… except this. Why would a card belonging to the chief prosecutor be here?"

"Because the chief prosecutor was responsible!" Klarissa answered.

Apollo simply shook his head. "No. Because the chief prosecutor was _framed_. Someone tried very hard to conceal their crime – hiring an assassin to murder an innocent college student, not committing murder. This serial killer from Germany is Klarissa von Karma." Apollo pointed his finger at the woman on the witness stand. "She is the only one who would have access to this card, or who would even think of framing the chief prosecutor!"

"So why isn't it the chief prosecutor?" the judge asked. "Because Franziska von Karma looks equally suspicious."

"No, Your Honor," Apollo said, shaking his head. "The serial killer is the one who murdered Maddie and Mina. Franziska von Karma couldn't possibly be the serial killer because she was here, in this country, while the killings took place. She would have to have been here, considering she was promoted to chief prosecutor of this district. That only leaves Klarissa von Karma."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Justice," Franziska said, sighing heavily, "but your evidence is a bit… circumstantial."

"I agree," Phoenix said. "You fought well, Apollo, but this isn't something we can really prove. Not without more evidence."

"But… we can't just let her get away!" Apollo protested.

"Then let's turn this trial over to the jury," Phoenix suggested. "Remember, our task is to prove that Ruka was _not_ responsible for Maddie and Mina's deaths, and I think you've succeeded."

The judge banged down his gavel. "Very well," he said. "This has been a long trial, and, without further ado, I will hand it over to the jury." The courtroom went silent, and Apollo sighed. _It's over… It's finally over…_

**HOLD IT!**

"Wait, Your Honor!" a bailiff yelled.

"What is it?" the judge asked impatiently. "The fate of the defendant lies in jeopardy."

"Th-That's the thing!" the bailiff stammered. "The defendant is _dead_!"

"What?" Apollo yelled. "That… No… Ruka! No, she can't…"

The spectators grew agitated. "No… that poor girl!"

"Somebody call nine-one-one!"

"Mommy, what's going to happen now?"

Apollo gripped his hair tightly. "No…" he whimpered. "This can't be happening…" He placed his head in his arms, slamming it down on the table. "_NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!_"

* * *

><p><em>January 27, 12:00 PM<em>

_District Court_

_Courtroom No. 2_

Apollo stood at the defense's bench, his head in his arms, sobbing. The spectators had cleared out, and the courtroom was completely empty save for him, Trucy, Maya, and Pearl. "Apollo?" Pearl said quietly. "Are you okay?" Apollo looked up slowly. His face was red, and there were tear-stains on his cheeks.

"What the hell happened?" he yelled. "Ruka was as good as free! Why did she have to die?"

"It's okay, Apollo," Trucy said consolingly, patting his arm.

"No, it's not okay!" Apollo yelled, swatting Trucy's hand away.

"Do you want me to channel her?" Maya asked. Apollo took a deep, shuddering breath and shook his head. The doors to the courtroom swung open, and Phoenix entered, his face grim.

"Ruka had a cup of coffee this morning," he said morosely. "There were traces of poison in the coffee. They're treating this as a suicide."

"How could it possibly be a suicide?" Apollo yelled. "Someone murdered her!"

"Maybe…" Pearl said quietly. "Maybe she really did commit suicide… She _did_ lose her two best friends, after all."

"But she was innocent!" Apollo protested.

"But how could she just go back to normal life after something like this happened?" Trucy asked.

"What happened to von Karma?" Apollo asked Phoenix.

"She was called in for questioning," Phoenix replied, "but I don't think they'll hold her for too long. Your argument was certainly valid, but your evidence, as Franziska said, was really circumstantial and vague." Apollo simply stared at the floor. "Apollo, look at me." Apollo stared at Phoenix with wide blue-green eyes. "What happened today has nothing to do with you or your skills as a defense attorney. You fought well, but an acquittal simply wasn't going to appease Ruka. What she was dealing with was something more harsh and cruel, and it had nothing to do with you. Don't think that what happened today was your fault."

"But…" Apollo protested feebly.

"Let's just head home, okay? We'll discuss this later when you've calmed down a bit."

Apollo sighed and nodded. "Okay…"

_ And that was my first – and hopefully my only – mistrial. Oh don't get me wrong, I hated Ruka at the time for what she did, but there was still a part of me that insisted that she really didn't commit suicide, that someone murdered her… and I had a strong feeling Klarissa von Karma had something to do with it._

**THE END.**

XX

**Whew, I'm finally done with this case. Sorry for the little Diabolus ex Machina at the end, but it serves a purpose, I promise! Anywho, NEXT TIME ON APOLLO JUSTICE: NEW BEGINNINGS…**

_**Lamiroir returns, and long-held secrets are finally revealed. However, things are not easy, as someone very close to Phoenix, Maya, and Pearl is found dead, and Apollo agrees to defend the man accused of his murder, someone Ema loathes with a passion. With his friends stacked against him, will Apollo succeed in finding the truth?**_

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